Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi in Induced Coma After Surgery

Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi is currently in an induced coma following the initial phase of surgery for a severe abdominal injury. The 27-year-old Nigerian international sustained the injury during a match against Leicester City, which ended in a 2-2 draw at the City Ground on Sunday. Awoniyi collided with the goalpost in the 88th minute while attempting to connect with a cross from Anthony Elanga. He underwent surgery on Monday night and remains hospitalized, with further procedures scheduled for Wednesday.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Nottingham Forest confirmed that Awoniyi is “recovering well” post-operation. During the match, Awoniyi was brought on as a late substitute for Ibrahim Sangare and received extensive treatment on the field after his collision.

The incident occurred when Elanga was offside, but the assistant referee delayed raising their flag until after Awoniyi’s collision due to protocols advising referees to wait until play concludes if an immediate goal-scoring opportunity is likely. This protocol allows goals to be reviewed by VAR if scored.

Following the game, Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis expressed his concerns to manager Nuno Espirito Santo regarding the handling of Awoniyi’s injury. Marinakis is being kept informed about Awoniyi’s condition.

On Tuesday, Forest emphasized that Awoniyi’s injury serves as “a powerful reminder of the physical risks in the game and why a player’s health and wellbeing must always come first.”