Chris Hughton will be eager to trim his squad in January, as Nottingham Forest look to steer clear of the Championship relegation zone.

The Reds brought in 14 new faces over the course of the summer, adding to a squad which now consists of over 30 first-team players.

After a tough start to the season, though, Hughton will be keen to strengthen his squad as they look to climb up the table, meaning that departures are likely.

One man who looks likely to leave the City Ground is Michael Hefele, who is completely out of favour on Trentside under Hughton.

The 30-year-old - who joined from Huddersfield Town in 2018 - hasn't featured for the Reds since New Year's Day in 2019 - a 4-2 home win over Leeds.

The centre-half failed to appear under Sabri Lamouchi, and he is yet to be called upon by Chris Hughton despite another managerial change on Trentside.

Hefele's contract at the City Ground expires at the end of the season, so an interesting January undoubtedly awaits the German defender.

After failing to play a single game for nearly two years, it remains to be seen whether a side take a chance on Hefele or not, given that his fitness and sharpness are both likely to be very low.

He could be a bargain for someone, though. Forest could look to receive some sort of fee for him in January, or simply wait and let him go for nothing at the end of the season.

Out of all the players out of favour at the City Ground, Hefele is perhaps most likely to depart.