By Charles Maduka
Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi was rushed to the hospital on Monday for emergency surgery after suffering an abdominal injury, according to multiple reports.
The Nigerian forward got injured during his team’s 2-2 draw against Leicester City at the City Ground on Sunday. He collided with the goalpost while trying to score from a cross by teammate Anthony Elanga.
Awoniyi received medical attention on the field and tried to continue playing but was later taken off. The full extent of the injury was only discovered the next day by the club’s medical team. He was then taken for surgery, which reports say was not life-threatening.
The injury incident sparked a strong reaction from Nottingham Forest’s owner, Evangelos Marinakis. After the final whistle, he walked onto the pitch and confronted the team’s head coach, Nuno Espirito Santo, in an unusual scene.
Marinakis expressed concern about why Awoniyi was allowed to continue playing, even after Nuno had checked with the medical staff during stoppage time.
It was a frustrating day for Forest, as the draw damaged their chances of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League. The team, currently in seventh place, now depends on other teams’ results to reach the top five, which guarantees Champions League qualification.
They are one point behind the top five and have two matches remaining — against West Ham and Chelsea, who are also competing for the same spot.
Despite the setback, Forest are guaranteed to qualify for the UEFA Conference League, which means they will return to European competition for the first time since the 1995-96 season.
Leave a Reply