Sign up NOW for the latest Reds news and views direct to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

If his Nottingham Forest future has not already been decided, Zach Clough did little to encourage Aitor Karanka to change his mind.

Having been training with the Reds' Under-23s since being told by Karanka this summer he was free to leave the club, Clough played for them in a Professional Development League match against QPR Under-23s at their London training base on Monday.

But his impact was minimal, with the player understood to have been suffering with illness in recent days - which led to an under-par performance in the capital.

It was no surprise when he was substituted at half-time, with the Reds trailing 2-0, with the attacking midfielder having failed to make an impact.

He had one threatening moment. And it came shortly before QPR scored the opening goal, as Toby Edser launched their best attacking move of the first half.

Edser swept the ball out wide to the overlapping Danny Preston, who cut inside from the left wing and laid the ball into Clough's path. He showed good control and turned past one man, but was then abruptly stopped in his tracks by QPR centre-back Charlie Owens.

That one moment of menace aside, Clough was a peripheral figure, playing just behind lone striker Virgil Gomis, and after Forest exited for the away dressing room at half-time we never saw Clough again.

He had to watch as they fought back with three second half goals, in a 3-3 draw.

(Image: Dan Westwell)

Clough was not the only senior Forest player in the Reds' starting line-up in London. So too, was Jamie Ward, the Northern Ireland international who has also been told he has no future at the City Ground under Karanka.

But, while Ward had also had a quiet first half, he did make an impact after the break, as unlike Clough, he re-emerged for the second half, and helped to inspire the fightback, creating Forest's opening goal with a good cross into the penalty area for Gomis, who powered a header into the net.

He looked more like his old self too, seizing onto a slip from a QPR defender and driving into the box early in the second half.

He hit the ball into the sidenetting, but still. He then forced QPR goalkeeper Marcin Brzozowski into a terrific save with a free-kick from the edge of the penalty area. Ward eventually exited on 70 minutes, being replaced by Victor Sodeinde, the Reds leading 3-2.

Three goals in a blistering eight minutes had put Forest in front, Gomis' header starting the comeback.

Gomis scored a second goal on the hour mark, racing into the box and slotting the ball past Brzozowski, and substitute Yassine En-Neyah netted their third goal on 62 minutes, pouncing on a loose ball inside the penalty area and driving it low into the net.

QPR had led 2-0 in the first half thanks to goals from sub Deshane Dalling, on 22 minutes, and Olamide Oteh from the penalty spot, after he had been fouled by Anel Ahmedhodzic. Firing the spot-kick straight down the middle, Forest goalkeeper Dimitar Evtimov dived to his left.

(Image: Dan Westwell)

Having looked dead and buried at half-time, however, Forest were on course to win until QPR scored their third goal on 72 minutes, their captain Ilias Chair firing an unstoppable shot past Evtimov.

Sodeinde went closest to winning it for Forest, volleying wide from a corner in the closing stages.