Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has said that while he remains “concerned” about Taiwo Awoniyi after his serious abdominal injury, the forward is recovering and everyone at the club hopes he can be present at the team’s final game of the season next weekend.
Sources told ESPN that Awoniyi was taken to hospital on Monday and underwent “urgent” surgery for the injury he suffered when he collided with the goal frame after coming on as a second-half substitute during the 2-2 draw against Leicester City on Sunday.
The Nigeria international was placed in an “induced coma” to aid his recovery from Monday’s operation by helping to restrict his movement and regulate his heart rate. The second part of his surgery was scheduled to completed on Wednesday.
“He went to surgery, surgery went well, thank God,” the Forest boss said at his pre-match news conference on Friday. “He is under observation now, but he is recovering. We still have to wait for the doctors to allow visits [beyond the player’s immediate family]. His family are there with him. We are concerned but it is positive.
“The players are constantly chatting on their groups. We know that he’s well, he just needs time. I hope that next week he can join us and be around because he’s a wonderful boy, a wonderful boy, and this season has been so hard on him.
“Now we must focus on the task ahead of us, because we are fighting for something huge.”
With two matches left to play, seventh-placed Forest are in with a chance of qualifying for the Champions League. They travel to east London to take on West Ham in their penultimate fixture on Sunday.
