Arnaud Kalimuendo just blew his Nottingham Forest chance, the data speaks volumes

Arnaud Kalimuendo failed to impress as Nottingham Forest were beaten 2-0 by Leeds United and knocked out of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.

The 24-year-old made an error in the build up to Dan James' opener, before James Justin capped off a second consecutive win at the City Ground within three days for Daniel Farke's side.

The forward's future has been unclear throughout the summer, with Eintracht Frankfurt having been keen to bring him back after he spent the second half of the season on loan.

Kalimuendo has impressed in pre-season, but could now be set to head for the exit door before next week's deadline after Nottingham Forest agreed a deal to sign Liam Delap.

The Englishman is set to join the Tricky Trees from Chelsea in a deal worth around £45million, and will likely be the starting option.

Chris Wood remains a prominent presence in the squad, as does Igor Jesus, who may well start alongside Delap.

Arnaud Kalimuendo disappoints in Nottingham Forest return

Nottingham Forest signed Kalimuendo last summer in a deal worth around £26m.

The Frenchman had just scored 18 goals in 34 games across all competitions for Stade Rennais, and arrived with considerable excitement.

He immediately looked to struggle with the Premier League, however, and amid the exits and arrivals of several managers at the City Ground, was not handed a stable environment to settle in.

Kalimuendo appeared to rediscover form on loan with Frankfurt, and it was expected that Nottingham Forest would demand around £25m to cut their losses.

That bid has not arrived, but Delap's pending arrival made Tuesday's game a big one for the Frenchman's future.

But it was stained by the 24-year-old's error, which was a a wayward header that fell to Sean Longstaff and led to the opening Leeds goal.

And while there were bright moments, Kalimuendo ultimately did not respond. He failed to take a single shot, completed just one of three attempted dribbles and lost four of his six duels.

One positive was that the striker completed one tackle and three recoveries, but his future remains in the balance.

What Oliver Glasner has said about Kalimuendo

So far, Oliver Glasner has deployed a three-four-three at Nottingham Forest, with two forwards sitting behind the main striker.

Kalimuendo was in one of the deeper roles on Tuesday, and may well be viewed as an option for both positions.

In July, the Austrian said: "Every player who's here gets the chance to show up, and so far everybody's very ambitious and hardworking in training, and that's why Kali deserves to play and show what he's capable of.

"I think he had a fantastic game today. Not just the goal he scored; he also found some very good positions between the lines."

It remains to be seen whether that chance has already come and gone, with the final days of the window set to be telling.