Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi has been placed in an induced coma as part of ongoing treatment for a serious abdominal injury.
The 27-year-old, who suffered an injury in the closing stages of Nottingham Forest's 2-2 draw with Leicester City at the weekend, was rushed into emergency surgery not long after the final whistle. It is believed that he suffered ruptured intestines.
While it was initially thought to not be serious, it has now been confirmed that Awoniyi, who came on as a substitute for the Champions League hopefuls, has not only been put in a coma, but is receiving intensive care.
UPDATE: Taiwo Awoniyi has been placed into an induced coma and is receiving intensive care following ‘urgent’ surgery. Early signs are thought to be positive. Aim is to complete his operation tomorrow. https://t.co/T6sEYJz27Y
— Mike Keegan (@MikeKeegan_DM) May 13, 2025
What led to Taiwo Awoniyi's abdominal injury?
On as a substitute for Ibrahim Sangare in the 83rd minute, Super Eagles star Awoniyi was involved in a goalmouth incident a few minutes later that culminated in his unfortunate injury.
A delivery into the penalty area from winger Anthony Elanga, who had appeared to be offside in the build-up, saw the striker attack the ball. He, however, came up short, and crashed into the frame of the goal stomach-first.
After on-field treatment, it was believed that the former Liverpool man gave confirmation that he could play on, leading Forest to make their final substitution of the game. However, a few minutes on, it became clear that Awoniyi could not, in fact, continue, but with his team out of subs, the Nigeria international was forced to stay on, barely mobile, until the final whistle.
Who is to blame for Super Eagles star's injury?
Nottingham Forest released a statement on Tuesday stating the club's internal frustration at the chain of events, and suggested that owner Evangelos Marinakis' public confrontation with manager Nuno Espirito Santo was with respect to Awoniyi's misfortune.
“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,” the statement read.
Be that as it may, though, it is difficult to completely absolve Forest of blame for the situation.
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) May 13, 2025
The first layer of culpability, however, rests with the officiating protocol for offsides. Had Elanga, whose delivery Awoniyi was chasing, been flagged offside earlier in the move, as he quite evidently was, the play would not have developed to the point of impact.
Once it did, however, the onus shifted onto Forest to see to the welfare of their striker. While it is not possible to diagnose an abdominal injury on the spot, a greater duty of care should have directed that Nuno hold back on his final substitution until it was clear that his player could carry on.
Instead, contrary to the sentiment in the statement, priority was given to the club's sporting interests over Awoniyi's welfare. The longer-term effects, if any, remain to be seen.
