When Sean Dyche arrived back at Nottingham Forest as manager, one of the first players to make an impression on him at the training ground was Ibrahim Sangare.

Dyche was excited by the explosive attacking talent he had inherited when he took on the job from Ange Postecoglou in October; by a squad that many might regard as being more talented than those he worked with at Burnley or Everton.

But as he found his feet back at the club, the physical, imposing presence of Sangare was one of many things that stood out for him at the Nigel Doughty Academy. Dyche, along with his assistants Steve Stone and Ian Woan, forged the opinion that the Ivory Coast international could be a useful asset, as they looked to get the club back on an upward trajectory.

Less than two months later, the long-legged midfielder delivered his best performance in a Forest shirt, more than two years after the club made him what they felt was a statement, transformative signing, when he joined from PSV for £30million on deadline day in September 2023.

When Sangare capped it off by scoring Forest’s third and best goal, with a spectacular bending drive from the edge of the box, even Dyche — normally a muted figure on the touchline when it comes to goal celebrations — showed a fleeting glimpse of emotion, holding his head in his hand while seeming to mutter the words ‘what a goal’ towards the Peter Taylor Stand behind him.

Dyche has been impressed by Sangare since his arrival as Forest boss (Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

It was a superbly crafted team goal, one that saw Forest carry the ball from one end to the other and culminated in Elliot Anderson feeding the ball to Callum Hudson-Odoi on the left side of the penalty area, from where he cut the ball perfectly back for Sangare, who could not have made a better contact with his curling strike. Like the majority of the 30,000 others in the stadium, Guglielmo Vicario, in the Tottenham goal, was little more than a helpless witness.

Just like Forest, Sangare’s performance was about more than just this goal as he became the first Forest player to score and provide two-plus assists in the Premier League since Stone, now standing in the dugout, did so in a game against QPR in May 1996.

He had almost opened the scoring in the fifth minute, when he thundered a header against the post, after connecting with a Nicolo Savona cross. Sangare was emphatically the catalyst for Forest’s first goal too, as he demonstrated impressive instincts when Vicario played a pass to Archie Gray on the edge of the penalty area. Sangare easily plucked possession off his toes, before luring the goalkeeper off his line and unselfishly squaring for Hudson-Odoi to net his first.

Sangare was also credited with an assist for Forest’s second goal, by virtue of the fact he headed the ball out to Hudson-Odoi on the left flank, before he mercilessly tormented Rodrigo Bentancur with some swift footwork, earning him the room to bend in a cross — a perfect delivery that looped beyond the reach of Vicario and inside his far post.

The 28-year-old also made several important clearances in his own box. He won back possession in key moments. He helped Forest maintain momentum with simple, confident passing. He and the always impressive Anderson dominated the midfield almost entirely.

But it was a performance that came with both perfect and painful timing. Because, at a time when Sangare has been at his best, Forest face the prospect of losing him for at least three games.

He — along with defender Willy Boly — will depart with the Ivory Coast to Morocco, as they look to defend the AFCON title they won in 2024. The tournament kicks off next Sunday, with the final set to be held on January 18. If Ivory Coast reach the final, Sangare would mix six Premier League fixtures, as well as the FA Cup clash at Wrexham and, depending on when he returns, the Europa League game at Braga on January 22.

Every Forest manager he has worked under has held a high opinion of Sangare. Steve Cooper felt he was a player who would allow Forest to change their entire way of playing; of being able to control the tempo of games, by merit of his presence. Forest spent 18 months trailing him and a year trying to sign him. When they landed Sangare, it was the deal that excited the hierarchy more than any other that summer.

More recently, Nuno Espirito Santo encouraged Forest to fend off a loan offer from West Ham last summer — ironically before ending up in London himself, only weeks later — because he was convinced he had an important part to play.

“We know he understands the game; we know he can play. It was a great finish. I have enjoyed working with him, he works hard on the training ground. He does his work with a smile on his face; he just gets on with it,” said Dyche in his post-match press conference. “He is one who has shown what he can do. Previously he has had a few injuries, which have maybe cost him.”

At the time of writing, on Sangare’s Wikipedia page the section on Forest is a single paragraph stating when he signed and when he made his debut. That tells a story about his time at the City Ground — but not the complete one.

In two years and three months at the club, Sangare has made only 43 Premier League appearances, including 31 starts. That has not been down to his quality, as much as his luck.

In November 2023, he contracted malaria while on international duty, something that took him months to properly recover from, having lost weight and muscle mass in the process. At the start of last season, Nuno regarded Sangare and Danilo as his first-choice midfield duo, only to lose Danilo to a broken leg on the opening day and Sangare to a serious hamstring injury in late August — he did not return until the following February.

With Ryan Yates missing with a hamstring problem, Forest will rely on Douglas Luiz and Nico Dominguez — who has a minor knee injury — as their central midfield options, alongside Anderson, in Sangare’s absence. Morgan Gibbs-White can also play there.

Under Dyche, Sangare has looked, more than ever, like the player Forest hope they signed; like a man capable of being an important cog in the machine. They will hope he returns swiftly and unscathed.