Steve Cooper has confirmed Nottingham Forest defender Neco Williams will not play again this season after suffering a broken jaw.
Former Liverpool star Williams, 22, collided with team-mate Brennan Johnson during Forest's 3-1 win against Brighton on Wednesday. The Wales international has undergone an operation to fix the break and will watch the rest of Forest's campaign from the stands.
The injury to Williams is a big blow for Forest, who are battling relegation. Steve Cooper's side have spent nearly £200million on fresh talent since their promotion to the Premier League last May but sit 17th in the table, just one point above the relegation zone.
Cooper confirmed Williams' injury status on Friday morning. He told reporters: "He was playing with confidence, so it's a blow for him and a blow for us. Everybody saw the collision on the pitch and when someone gets stretchered off, you always fear the worst.
"It's a difficult situation for him, he's recently got back into the team and he's been playing well."
It's unclear how long it will take Williams' injury to heal. Forest have just five Premier League games remaining against Brentford (away), Southampton (home), Chelsea (away), Arsenal (home) and Crystal Palace (away), making it a tough run in.
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This season's relegation scrap in the Premier League has changed significantly in recent weeks. Crystal Palace, Wolves and Bournemouth have all pulled away from the bottom three, while West Ham sit five points above the drop zone with a game in hand.
Southampton (on 24 points) are six points from safety and will struggle to save their campaign after a 1-0 home defeat to Bournemouth on Thursday. Leeds (30 points), Forest (30), Leicester (29) and Everton (28) will all be seriously worried about relegation.
Williams, who came through Liverpool's academy and won the Premier League title before his exit, has expressed his disappointment at the injury. Using he Twitter, he wrote: "I am gutted to say my season's over for sustaining a broken jaw.
"I will do everything I can to help my team-mates bring home those points every game."
Everton's run in is arguably the hardest. Their next three fixtures are at relegation rivals Leicester, at Europe-chasing Brighton and at home to title favourites Manchester City. The Toffees will surely be relegated if they lose all three of those games.
Leicester are also under the cosh. They've still got the travel to Fulham and Champions League hopefuls Newcastle, while home games against Liverpool and West Ham won't be easy. Leeds also have some daunting games on the horizon - including trips to Man City and West Ham. Javi Gracia's side must also play Newcastle at Elland Road.
