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Midfielder says lack of playing time has been ‘frustrating’ at Nottingham Forest

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Ben Osborn admitted that a lack of playing time at Nottingham Forest has been “frustrating”, with the Englishman having struggled for minutes in recent weeks. Osborn was a regular at the start of the season, featuring at left-back, centre-midfield and left-midfield, but he’s been on the bench of late.

The 24-year-old has made a total of 21 Championship appearances this season but has only racked up 24 minutes of playing time since before Christmas. Osborn has started just three league games since October 20 and hasn’t managed to nail down a spot under Aitor Karanka.

He revealed to Nottinghamshire Live that the situation “is difficult” but was also motivated to fight for his place, saying: “It has been frustrating, because you want to play as often as possible. It is my first season where I have not been playing as much as I have done previously.

“It is difficult. In games when I have come out of the side, the lads have done well, particularly the ones who have come into my position. But now I hope to put a run of games together and try to cement my place.”

Osborn has made over 200 appearances in all competitions for Forest and was a regular for the first third of the season. He’s now desperate to impress Karanka to get back into the side, but the midfielder has stiff competition for places.

Jack Robinson & Danny Fox are preferred at left-back, Joe Lolley & Matty Cash are preferred on the wing and Jack Colback & Claudio Yacob are preferred in the middle. Osborn appears to be only filling places when injury strikes, rather than being one of the first names on the teamsheet, so he faces a challenge to get back in favour during the second-half of the season.

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Aitor Karanka eyes Swiss international, Nottingham Forest ‘have made a loan bid’

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Sports journalist who is an avid football fan, enjoys debunking transfer rumours, loves to write pieces about players out in the cold and takes a large amount of pride getting a predicted XI 100% correct.