Sabri Lamouchi says Michael Dawson has a “problem in the calf” and could miss Nottingham Forest’s next two games against Blackburn Rovers and Brentford. In Friday’s 3-2 win over Stoke City, the 35-year-old limped off the pitch after 34 minutes and was replaced by Chema Rodriguez.
Dawson went immediately down the tunnel with a physio and will now be assessed by Forest. The Reds have two more games before the international break – Blackburn (October 1) and Brentford (October 5) – so fans may not see Dawson for more than three weeks if Lamouchi’s prediction is correct.
The Forest manager told Nottinghamshire Live: “(Dawson) has a problem in the calf. We will check him on Monday. I am not a doctor, but I don’t think he will be fit for Blackburn. Maybe Brentford as well, but I’m not sure.”
It’s a major blow to lose Dawson as he had been solid alongside Joe Worrall at the heart of the defence. Ahead of Friday’s meeting with Stoke, Forest boasted the third-best defensive record in the Championship and have only shipped two league goals in September.
One positive is that Lamouchi isn’t short of options. Chema came on for the former England international and could be called upon against Blackburn & Brentford. Tobias Figueiredo was on the bench against Stoke and is another option. Alexander Milosevic is another player looking for minutes too.
Forest should be able to cope in Dawson’s absence.
