Nottingham Forest have assured that Taiwo Awoniyi is in recovery after the Super Eagles striker underwent emergency surgery on Monday night.
The Nigeria international was involved in a nasty collision with the post during Forest’s 2-2 English Premier League draw with Leicester City on Sunday, which required Monday’s surgical procedure.
“Nottingham Forest 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 club stated on Tuesday.
“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.
“At Nottingham Forest, this principle is not just policy for us; it is the deeply held belief and conviction of our owner.”
Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was seen on the pitch apparently confronting head coach Nuno Espirito Santo after the match, with the discussion centred around the decision to leave Awoniyi on even after the collision.
The club insisted Marinakis was more concerned about Awoniyi than the draw that affected Forest’s UEFA Champions League chances.
“To Evangelos Marinakis, this isn’t just a football club — it’s family – and he instils that message in all of us,” the club added in the official statement.
“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.
“In light of this, we urge former coaches and players, and other public figures in the game, to resist the urge to rush to judgement and fake news online, especially when they do not have the full facts and context.
“Baseless and ill-informed outrage for the purposes of personal social media traction serves no one — least of all the injured player. We call on these influential voices to show the same respect for player welfare that they often demand from others. Let concern come before commentary.
“At Nottingham Forest, we believe the mental and physical well-being of our players and coaching staff must always take precedence — over media narratives, inflammatory judgements, and certainly over self-promotion.
“In moments like these, the game must unite around those who put their bodies and minds on the line every week. That’s what real leadership looks like in our game.”
