da pixbet： The on-loan Borussia Dortmund midfielder hasn't got anywhere near the playing time he needs so far
da fazobetai： Gio Reyna needed to escape Borussia Dortmund. By January, the minutes had dried up almost completely and, for a player of his age, that simply couldn't happen. Indeed, the longer time went on, the more obvious and urgent the need became for the USMNT midfielder to find a way out.
In his desperation, though, Reyna may have jumped at the wrong opportunity. It seems that way so far, at least. Now about a month into his time with Nottingham Forest, we've barely seen the 21-year-old do much of anything.
The move hasn't gone to plan and Reyna's hardly played since arriving in the Premier League. If he wanted to sit on a bench, he could've carried on doing that at Dortmund.
On Wednesday, though, the midfielder could be about to get a big opportunity. An FA Cup clash with Manchester United is on the schedule and, for a team in Forest's position, rotation is almost a certainty. That could, and should, lead to a chance for Reyna to show why he deserves far more playing time.
Considering Forest's place in the table, this could be his first and only shot to really prove his worth. Opportunities will be hard to come by and, if the U.S. talent wants to make this loan worthwhile, it seems like Wednesday has to be the turning point.
Getty ImagesThe stats so far
After emerging as a super-sub extraordinaire last season for Borussia Dortmund, Reyna looked poised for a breakout campaign in 2023-24. It never came. Instead, he was glued to Dortmund's bench.
After playing just 271 Bundesliga minutes across 11 matches during the first half of the season, his time at Forest has amazingly been even worse.
Since making the move towards the end of the January transfer window, Reyna has played in three out of five possible matches. In those games, he's featured for a whopping 38 minutes.
There was a 12-minute appearance in a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth which was followed up by a 17-minute runout against Newcastle in a 3-2 defeat. And then, with Forest chasing the game, Reyna was given just nine minutes to work in the 4-2 loss to Aston Villa.
It hasn't been enough.
AdvertisementGettyThe reality at Forest
Here's the reality: Forest are in trouble. They're in a relegation dogfight and, based on their form through the first 26 games of their season, their Premier League status for next season is going to go right down to the wire.
Through those 26 games, they have just 24 points. That leaves them 17th in the table. They're out of the relegation zone, at least for now, but their spot is far from safe, especially given that Everton have been reinstated with four points after their successful deduction appeal. Luton Town, meanwhile, are currently 18th and are just four points behind, with a game in hand.
If Forest lose Wednesday's match against Man Utd, as many expect they will, they'll have just 12 games left in their season. There will be little room for error. In the context of Reyna's loan spell, then, that could be a disaster – with there unlikely to be any incentive to give a young on-loan prospect a chance to play his way into form.
Getty ImagesWhat's keeping Reyna out in the cold?
When Reyna decided to join Forest, the consensus was that cracking the XI would be a challenge, but not an impossible one. Indeed, optimists would say that it was a challenge that the player duly needed, giving him motivation to earn and then keep a place in a team fighting for their Premier League surival.
Right now, though, that challenge has been too much of an obstacle to overcome, with Forest's established starters having kept Reyna out of the XI.
Captain Morgan Gibbs-White is undroppable, and he plays the No. 10 position that Reyna would ideally like to occupy. Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga, meanwhile, are high-upside wingers who have joined from big clubs. Their combination of pace, skill and Premier League experience at a young age make them tough to move aside.
Off the bench, Divock Origi has generally been the primary attacking sub. The Belgian striker is, of course, a Champions League winner with Liverpool. When Forest need a goal, he's usually the first guy tossed on.
It all means that the attacking positions are largely accounted for, making it difficult for Reyna to get through unless something were to shake up the existing group.
Getty ImagesBerhalter not concerned… yet
USMNT fans are, understandably, worried about Reyna's lack of minutes. They have a right to be. He remains one of the brightest talents in the American game and his development will be key to any hopes of a run at the 2026 World Cup and beyond.
Rather than panic, though, USMNT's Gregg Berhalter is looking big picture. He sees this as a short-term problem that, in the long term, will be an important hurdle in Reyna's career.
Berhalter told : “I think it’s important to realize that Gio is still a young player, still finding himself, still finding who he is as a player. Every player on our team has gone through times when they are not thriving or it’s not going the best way for them.
"For Gio, it’s no different. We’re not panicking. We know he has a ton of talent. We know that he can be a game-changer and we’re looking forward to the day when he’s in the team each and every week and really starting to thrive and grow. We know how much quality he has and what a good player he is.”