Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi has undergone urgent surgery after ingame injury

Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi has undergone urgent surgery following a serious abdominal injury sustained during the Premier League match against Leicester City last Sunday. The 27-year-old Nigeria international suffered the injury in the 88th minute of the 2-2 draw at the City Ground. The incident occurred when Awoniyi collided with the goalpost while attempting to get on the end of a cross delivered by Anthony Elanga. Despite receiving treatment on the pitch, Awoniyi was initially able to continue playing, but he was visibly struggling with the injury when the match resumed.

Nottingham Forest confirmed the procedure in a club statement, announcing that Taiwo Awoniyi has undergone urgent surgery following an abdominal injury sustained during Sunday's match. The club extended their best wishes to the striker during his recovery and stated that further updates would be provided when appropriate.

Awoniyi's appearance in the match was brief; he had only been on the pitch for five minutes, having been introduced as a late substitute for Ibrahim Sangare just before the injury occurred. Awoniyi joined Nottingham Forest from Union Berlin in June 2022. He also previously spent time at Liverpool between 2015 and 2021, although he did not make a senior appearance for the club. He has scored once for Forest in the Premier League this season.

The incident and the handling of the injury prompted a reaction from Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis. Marinakis indicated through an Instagram post that his decision to go onto the pitch at the full-time whistle was partly linked to his view on how Awoniyi's injury had been managed by the medical staff. Marinakis stated that "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." He described this frustration as "natural" and a "demonstration of the passion we feel for our club."

Taiwo Awoniyi now faces a period of recovery following the urgent abdominal surgery, with the incident also highlighting tensions regarding the on-field medical assessment as noted by the club's owner.