Nottingham Forest: Taiwo Awoniyi is recovering well

Premier League side, Nottingham Forest says Nigerian striker, Taiwo Awoniyi has undergone a successful surgery and that he is recovering very well.

The Super Eagle crashed into a post during Forest’s 2-2 draw with relegated Leicester City on Sunday. After about three minutes of treatment, the 27-year-old returned to the field to continue.

The Nigerian attempted to carry on but was unable to move properly.

The club, in a statement on Tuesday, says it ‘can confirm that Taiwo Awoniyi is recovering well so far following urgent surgery on a serious abdominal injury sustained during Sunday’s match against Leicester City.

‘The seriousness of his injury is a powerful reminder of the physical risks in the game, and why a player’s health and well-being must always come first,’ wrote the club and defended its owner, Evangelos Marinakis action after the game.

‘At Nottingham Forest, this principle is not just policy for us; it is the deeply held belief and conviction of our owner. To Evangelos Marinakis, this isn’t just a football club — it’s family – and he instils that message in all of us.

‘That is why he was so personally and emotionally invested in the situation that unfolded at the City Ground on Sunday. His reaction was one of deep care, responsibility, and emotional investment in one of our own. He didn’t just see it as an isolated incident, but as something that reflected the values and unity of the entire team.

‘In moments like that he demonstrates his leadership, not just through words, but through action and presence. In the final ten minutes of the game, when he saw our player clearly in discomfort, struggling through visible pain, it became increasingly difficult for him to stay on the sidelines.

‘His deep frustration at seeing our player lying on the ground in severe pain -something no one with genuine care could ignore – triggered him to go onto the pitch. It was instinctive, human, and a reflection of just how much this team and its people mean to him. He would do the same again if such an unfortunate event were ever to reoccur.’

‘The truth of the matter is there was no confrontation, with Nuno or with others, either on the pitch or inside the stadium. There was only shared frustration between all of us that the medical team should never have allowed the player to continue.’