Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has described Taiwo Awoniyi’s injury as “serious” after the striker suffered a setback.
Awoniyi is currently sidelined after aggravating his groin injury. The Nigeria international was ruled out for three months at the start of the season and only returned to action in January.
However, he barely played before suffering a recurrent injury right before the March international break, which forced him to miss his country’s friendlies against Ghana and Mali.
Addressing journalists ahead of Nottingham Forest’s Premier League clash against Crystal Palace on Saturday, Espirito Santo gave a grim update on Awoniyi’s injury situation.
Espirito Santo hopeful of Awoniyi’s return before season ends
The Reds’ boss said the striker’s absence was a big blow to the club, considering that he had just returned from a long injury layoff.
Awoniyi, who scored 11 goals for Nottingham Forest last season as they mounted a late rally to escape relegation, has not featured much in the current campaign due to his injury woes.
The 26-year-old missed the club’s 1-1 draw with Luton Town before the international break and is now set to miss many more important matches after suffering an injury setback earlier this month.
Espirito Santo has confirmed that Awoniyi will miss Nottingham Forest’s upcoming games against Crystal Palace and Fulham, adding that he’s unsure when the striker would return. The Portuguese manager, however, expressed hope that the forward will feature again for the Reds before the season ends.
“He is doing treatment. It is a serious injury, unfortunately. It is a big blow for us because he had just come back [from an injury spell]. The importance of Taiwo is huge. He gives us another option,” he said, as quoted by London World.
“I don’t know exactly how long he will be out for, but I am positive we are going to see him again this season. He will definitely miss these two games.”
Awoniyi could be fit for World Cup qualifiers in June
Awoniyi has played just 1029 minutes for Nottingham Forest this season but has impressively contributed six goals and three assists in the Premier League. The former Mainz 05 and Union Berlin striker looks set to spend an extended period on the sidelines after his latest injury setback.
While that is bad news for Nottingham Forest, who currently sit in the relegation zone after being deducted four points for breaking financial rules, Espirito Santo’s comments come as a huge boost for fans of Nigeria ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in June.
Awoniyi has been very unlucky with the national team in recent months, having featured only eight times for his country. The striker was part of the squad that played in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon but missed the 2023 edition in Ivory Coast due to injury.
Having also missed the Super Eagles’ March international friendlies against Ghana and Mali, it’s now been almost a year since the Nottingham Forest forward last featured for his nation. However, he could be available for Nigeria’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin.
The Super Eagles are currently winless in the qualifying group after drawing against Lesotho and Zimbabwe in their opening two matches. This means they need big results against Bafana Bafana and Benin to enhance their chances of qualifying for the World Cup. Should Awoniyi recover before the end of the season, as expected by his club manager, he will be in contention to be selected for the aforementioned international assignments in June.
Meanwhile, Nigeria are likely to be spoilt for options in attack by the time they face South Africa and Benin, with Victor Osimhen back in training at Napoli while Victor Boniface is also expected to return to full fitness in early April.
