Forest's Gio Reyna missed Liverpool game: Reason revealed

Gio Reyna has gotten limited game time since his loan move to the Premier League and was omitted from the match squad against Liverpool over the weekend.

The USMNT youth player went on loan due to Nottingham Forest due to struggles getting playing time at Borussia Dortmund.

Reyna’s time at Dortmund

Reyna moved to Germany in 2019.

Coming through the club’s academy system. It’s easy to overlook Reyna’s time at Dortmund, given that he debuted professionally when he was only 17 years old.

However, the club failed to recognize his potential as an integral part of the present squad. There are many ways to look at what happened to Reyna at Dortmund.

However, one possible response is to consider his extended injury layoffs.

His biggest absence came in September of 2021 when he missed a total of 22 games. In addition, he had a delayed start to the current season due to a leg injury he sustained last summer. Reyna has been unable to obtain the playing time he needed to gain momentum because of these layoffs.

Another reason to leave Germany

Not only has Reyna dealt with injuries, but he has also had to overcome stiff competition for a starting spot. Since Julian Brandt and Marco Reus both play often, it was difficult for Reyna to get consistent playing time.

Due to this, Edin Terzic attempted to play Reyna in a wider role. However, he hadn’t always shown the same pinpoint accuracy as when on the ball.

This role was not fulfilling for the player, and Terzic’s determination to play him there forced him to start again with a different club in the hopes of receiving more playing time.

Why did Gio Reyna miss Liverpool clash?

With that said, it is still not the case.

At the tail end of January, the American midfielder finalized a loan transfer to Premier League club Nottingham Forest. Although this move would allow Reyna to get more playing time, it also puts the 21-year-old at great difficulty.

Since joining the relegation-threatened club on loan from Borussia Dortmund in January, the American international has had a terrible start to his Premier League career. Coach Nuno Espirito Santo has yet to give him his first start.

The FA Cup seemed like the ideal venue to provide the American a fair shot, given his lack of Premier League experience. That was not the case.

Actually, Forest were chasing the victory and threw him into the action immediately after United scored, giving him very little time to make an impact.

It was another indication of how disastrous this loan decision has been. So far, Reyna has found it much more difficult to get minutes at Forest compared to Dortmund, rendering his time there pointless.

Adding another twist to the tale, the midfielder was not included in Nottingham Forest’s squad for Saturday’s crucial Premier League match against Liverpool.

It was reported by The Athletic that the youngster was left out of the squad due to a knock. They decided the offensive midfielder wasn’t fit to play against the Reds after giving him a short cameo in their last meeting. Next week, however, he should be back in training.

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