Claudio Yacob was left out of the matchday squad in Nottingham Forest’s 1-0 win over Derby County and might have an uncertain future while Martin O’Neill is in charge. The 31-year-old has amassed only 91 minutes of Championship football under his new manager and now finds himself behind the likes of Ben Watson, Adlene Guedioura, Ryan Yates, Jack Colback and Pele.
Under Aitor Karanka, Yacob was a regular at the heart of the midfield alongside Colback and garnered praise for his combative performances. The Argentine international is now a last resort in midfield and can’t even make the substitutes’ bench. His contract at the City Ground still has 18 months to run, but he might be fearing the worst over the summer if he remains on the periphery.
Yacob joined Forest on a free transfer in September but didn’t make his debut for another two months. After Karanka called upon on the ball-winner, Yacob was a regular in the starting lineup, featuring in 12 of Forest’s next 14 league games. He’s made just one appearance in five, however, racking up a paltry 22 minutes of Championship football in nearly six weeks.
There’s still time for Yacob to get himself back in contention, but his snub against Derby will be a worry.
