The 21-year-old midfield ace played 118 minutes as Nottingham Forest beat Sheffield United on penalties to qualify for the Championship play-off final.

We have covered a lot of James Garner’s development at Nottingham Forest this season, and it was a really good decision from Manchester United to send him back to the City Ground for a second stint on loan.

Unfortunately, Garner went off with 118 minutes on the clock and it looked like he sustained a muscle injury. He walked off the pitch in some pain and appeared to be holding the back of his leg.

It’s a shame because he has been a crucial player in Steve Cooper’s side after finishing fourth to secure a place in the play-offs. He will hope that Garner’s injury is nothing serious and he can start in the Wembley final against Huddersfield for a place in the Premier League next season.

We already knew before Garner left for Forest that he was one of the most talented players in the academy, but he has now become a player who can demand regular football at a high standard, and every Championship side would take him based on the impression he has made over the past two years.

It could be argued that he started to make youth football look a bit easy 2+ years ago and that is a clear sign that he was ready to get first team football.

The question is can Garner make a good enough impression on Erik ten Hag and his backroom staff on pre-season?

Otherwise there would be options – and, it wouldn’t be a terrible idea to send him back to Forest for a third season if they win the play-off final against Huddersfield Town.