Newcastle defender was handed a chance to impress.
Newcastle United boss Rafa Benitez named an under strength line up in the Carabao Cup last night, handing chances to fringe players at the club.
It was an opportunity for those not in the first team picture to either play their way into Benitez’s plans, or put themselves in the shop window.
One player who struggled to do either was Scotland international Grant Hanley, who has had a torrid time at St James’ since joining from Blackburn Rovers last summer.
Hanley’s most likely next step is to move on before the transfer window closes, but his contribution in the early stages was getting undone by Nottingham Forest striker Jason Cummings as he netted twice.
Newcastle battled back to equalise but ended up being dumped out of the cup by a late Tyler Walker header, once again robbing them of a cup run which has eluded them in recent years.
In Hanley’s defence this was just his second competitive game since April, and any teams scouting him would have factored this in.
Newcastle fans are not convinced he can play a big role for them, but are concerned they may now struggle to shift him before the transfer deadline.
Here is a look at how Newcastle fans reacted on Twitter to Hanley’s performance…
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