Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo remains hopeful that striker Taiwo Awoniyi could rejoin the team next week, despite the Nigerian forward still being hospitalized after emergency surgery for a ruptured intestine.
Awoniyi underwent urgent surgery following a collision with a goalpost during Forest’s 2-2 draw against Leicester City last weekend. The incident has reignited discussions around the delayed offside rule introduced in 2020.
“The information we have is that he needs to stay in the hospital for at least five days for observation. I’ll try to visit him as soon as possible. He’s in good hands and has his family with him,” Nuno said.
The Forest manager confirmed that the surgery went well and expressed relief over Awoniyi’s progress. “He had surgery, which went well, thank God. He is now under observation and recovering, but we still have to wait for the doctors’ permission for visits,” he added.
Forest players have kept in touch with Awoniyi through group chats and plan to show their support during their upcoming match at West Ham on Sunday.
“The players are constantly chatting and know he is doing well. He just needs time. I hope he can be with us next week. He’s a wonderful person, and this season has been very tough on him. We feel for him deeply,” Nuno said.
Awoniyi’s injury occurred in the final minutes of the match when he collided with the goalpost while trying to finish a low cross that could have put Forest ahead 3-2. He was unaware he would be flagged offside. Despite the impact, the 27-year-old played through about seven minutes of added time before being rushed into surgery the following day.
His Forest and Nigeria teammate, Ola Aina, told the Daily Mail that he has reached out to Awoniyi. “I’ve sent him a message, as has the whole team. I’ve heard he is recovering well, so hopefully, we’ll hear from him soon.”
Aina also criticized the delayed offside rule, which he feels contributed to the injury. “You think ‘offside’ immediately. Surely the flag could have gone up right away? Anthony Elanga was clearly offside. Everyone could see it, including me from where I was. If the flag had gone up earlier, none of this would have happened to Taiwo.”
Awoniyi’s serious injury has intensified scrutiny of the IFAB’s delayed flag rule, which permits waiting to raise the flag only in clear attacking situations when a player is about to score or has a clear path to the goal.
Earlier this season, Awoniyi suffered a broken nose during an FA Cup match against Exeter City, and with Chris Wood’s strong form limiting his Premier League minutes to 402, the timeline for his full recovery remains uncertain given the severity of this latest injury.
