Nottingham Forest are open to the possibility of Joe Worrall departing on-loan this month, but Aitor Karanka has stated that will only be the case if the centre-back is guaranteed first-team minutes.

Worrall, 21, has fallen way down the pecking order at the City Ground, with Danny Fox, Tobias Figueiredo, Michael Hefele and Michael Dawson all pushing for a starting berth within Karanka’s squad.

Karanka brought the latter two in during the summer transfer window in a bid to bring more experience to his back-four, with Worrall now facing up to the fact that minutes will be hard to come by this season.

Discussing the defender’s situation with the Nottingham Post, Karanka admitted if Worrall wanted to move out on-loan to play football, it was something the club would understand: “If Joe wants to go and it is the right place for him to play and all of us agree that it is the right thing for everyone – I would understand that.

“But if he is going to a place and he is not going to play, he would learn more here by staying here and being around Dawson, Fox, Hefele and Tobias.”

Worrall has made 52 Championship appearances for Forest, with 49 of those coming in the starting XI.

However, since Karanka’s arrival at the City Ground, the 21-year-old has found his playing time cut, with more experienced centre-backs preferred by the ex-Middlesbrough boss.

Worrall’s last outing for Forest came back in March, when he made a substitute appearance in a 2-0 defeat to Millwall.

The centre-back hasn’t been involved in any of Forest’s matchday squads so far this season.

The Verdict  

Worrall is a talent, there is no doubting that.

However, the centre-back needs to be playing regular football at 21.

If that’s not going to come at Forest, then Karanka and the board owe it to the defender to find him it elsewhere.

Whether that’s abroad or in the lower leagues remains to be seen, but something should really be materialising before the end of the month.

Nottingham Forest fans… Let us know your thoughts!