Zach Clough has been short of form since joining Rochdale on loan over the summer and may not have much of a future when he returns to Nottingham Forest in January.
The 23-year-old has struggled to nail down a starting place at the City Ground, resulting in him being loaned out in pursuit of first-team football, but things aren’t going to plan at the Spotland Stadium.
Clough only joined Forest from Bolton Wanderers in 2017 and has gone on to make 31 appearances in all competitions – 15 of which were starts – scoring and creating seven goals.
The striker’s last game for the Midlands outfit was in January 2018 before he returned to Bolton on loan for the tail-end of last season.
And as he wasn’t going to be a first-team regular at Forest in 2018/19, Clough joined Rochdale for more playing time. He’s been handed just five starts in all competitions, however, featuring only once in League One since mid-October.
The 23-year-old has scored just one goal this season and has spent more time as an unused substitute than on the pitch.
Clough will return to Forest in less than two months, but whether he can get enough playing time despite competition in attack from Lewis Grabban, Karim Ansarifard and Daryl Murphy remains to be seen.
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