Nottingham Forest have a pool of exciting young players at their disposal, and if Aitor Karanka can help their development during his time with the club, exciting times could be on the horizon at the City Ground.

One of those youngsters at the City Ground is Ben Brereton, who many are still waiting for to break through and become to regular focal point that Karanka turns to.

£4.5m-rated Brereton has looked good in spells for Forest, but is far too inconsistent, and here at FLW, we believe that Karanka needs to be considering pulling the striker from his starting XI against Norwich City this evening.

The 18-year-old’s goalscoring record leaves a lot to be desired, having scored on just seven occasions in 47 appearances across all competitions.

So far this season, the striker has just four goals to his name and hasn’t been nearly prolific enough for the Reds.

Last time out, Brereton started against Birmingham City, after a goalscoring impact against Queens Park Rangers the week before, however, after a disappointing start, Daryl Murphy was brought on to replace the teenager.

Many of Saturday’s starting XI will retain their place at Carrow Road this evening, but Karanka will take serious consideration to his striking role, particularly with Murphy breathing down Brereton’s neck.

Murphy has the same number of goals as Brereton in a Forest shirt, but in just 25 appearances, with the 34-year-old’s record over the course of his career – particularly in the Championship – impressive.

In time, Forest’s supporters will be keen to see Brereton leading the line on a regular basis, but at this stage of his career he needs to be managed carefully. Handing Murphy the striking role this evening at Carrow Road is something that needs to be done.

Nottingham Forest fans… Let us know your thoughts!