Nottingham Forest went into a fight for its Premier League life without Gio Reyna.
The midfielder, on loan from Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund, was not in uniform as Forest fell 3-2 to Chelsea Saturday in a game that could have sealed Forest’s place in the top flight.
It is not yet known if Reyna was dropped due to injury, illness, or some other reason. Manager Nuno Espírito Santo didn’t discuss the U.S. men’s national team midfielder’s status ahead of the clash at City Ground.
With Luton Town and Burnley both losing earlier in the day, a single point would have mathematically guaranteed Forest a place in the 2024-25 Premier League.
However, Forest’s fumbling of a 2-1 lead in the second half means that Luton maintains a sliver of hope to catch up on the final day. With one match to play, Forest maintains a three-point gap, which is bolstered by a 12-goal advantage in terms of goal difference.
More bad news for Reyna
To say the least, Reyna’s deadline-day loan to the Premier League strugglers has not gone according to plan. The 21-year-old has appeared in 10 of a possible 17 competitive fixtures, starting just twice.
Despite producing an assist in his first start with the club, and a superb performance with the USMNT in the Concacaf Nations League final, Reyna’s time in the East Midlands has done little to further his career. Reyna has compiled just 231 minutes for Forest, and has seemingly fallen out of favor in the season’s final days.
Following starts against Wolves and Everton in mid-April, Reyna’s share of the minutes in the Forest midfield have fallen off. He saw 16 minutes off the bench in a 2-0 home loss to Manchester City before becoming an unused substitute for May 4’s 3-1 win at Sheffield United.
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