Awoniyi undergoes surgery after abdominal injury against Leicester City
Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi has undergone “urgent” surgery following a significant abdominal injury sustained during last weekend’s Premier League clash with Leicester City, the club confirmed on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old Nigerian international was injured in the 88th minute of the 2-2 draw at the City Ground after colliding with the goalpost while attempting to connect with a cross from Anthony Elanga under pressure from Leicester’s Facundo Buonanotte.
The club can confirm Taiwo Awoniyi has undergone urgent surgery following an abdominal injury sustained during Sunday’s match against Leicester City.
Everyone at Nottingham Forest sends their best wishes to Taiwo.
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Awoniyi, who signed with Nottingham Forest from Union Berlin in June 2022, had only been on the field for five minutes after replacing Ibrahim Sangare as a late substitute.
Despite receiving extended treatment on the pitch, he attempted to continue playing. However, the full severity of his abdominal injury was not identified until medical evaluations on Monday.
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis reportedly cited the handling of Awoniyi’s injury as the reason he stormed onto the pitch to confront head coach Nuno Espirito Santo after the final whistle.
With Forest pushing for a late goal to strengthen their Champions League hopes, Awoniyi re-entered the match but was visibly limited in movement. Marinakis was reportedly frustrated that a substitution wasn’t made in light of the striker’s condition.
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Everybody — coaching staff, players, supporters, and including myself — we were frustrated around the injury of Taiwo and the medical staff’s misjudgement on Taiwo’s ability to continue the game, said Marinakis in an Instagram post issued later Sunday.
This is natural, this is a demonstration of the passion we feel for our club.
The draw with Leicester, already relegated from the Premier League, ended Nottingham Forest’s hopes of securing Champions League qualification entirely on their own terms. However, it did ensure a top-seven finish, guaranteeing them European football next season.
Still, even if the two-time European champions win their final two league matches, including a decisive last-day showdown with Chelsea, it may not be enough to reach the Champions League unless at least one of Aston Villa, Manchester City, or Newcastle drops points in the remaining fixtures.
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