It has been a painful time for fans of Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi, as the Nottingham Forest forward has undergone emergency surgery following an abdominal injury.
The Super Eagles star suffered the injury during Forest’s 2-2 draw with Leicester City on Sunday at the City Ground.
Awoniyi, aged 27, collided with the post while attempting to reach a low cross from teammate Anthony Elanga in the final minutes of the match.
Despite showing visible discomfort, the forward continued playing after receiving treatment on the pitch.
However, the seriousness of the injury was only discovered later by the club’s medical staff.
On Monday, Awoniyi was rushed to the hospital, where he underwent immediate surgery.
Speaking after the match, Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo explained the difficult situation the team found itself in.
“It was disappointing for everybody,” he said.
“Unfortunately, we had to play the last 10 minutes with one man less.
Taiwo gave it a go but it was too painful for him to really push and help the team.”
Nuno went on to reveal that the club had already used their last substitution window, which meant Awoniyi had to continue even while injured.
“There was a misunderstanding between the coaching staff and the medical department,” he added.
“We had the heads up to make a sub, then Taiwo tried but he could not [run fully].”
Forest’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, was said to be furious with how the situation was handled.
He also made his feelings clear, but chose to focus on the progress the club is making.
“Today is a day for celebration, because after 30 years Nottingham Forest is now guaranteed to be competing on the European stage once again – a promise I made to our supporters when we achieved promotion!” he said.
Marinakis, however, admitted his frustration with how the injury situation was managed.
“Everybody – coaching staff, players, supporters, and including myself we were frustrated around the injury of Taiwo and the medical staff’s misjudgment on Taiwo’s ability to continue the game.
This is natural. This is a demonstration of the passion we feel for our club,” he stated.
He added a message of hope to fans and the team: “Let’s all be grateful, passionate and keep on dreaming!”
I really hope he is fine ooo. The collision was a bit nasty