The Nottingham Forest star Taiwo Awoniyi is now out of his induced coma after emergency surgery folliwng a suffered a horrific injury during their game against Leicester City
23:23, 14 May 2025Updated 23:27, 14 May 2025
Nottingham Forest's Nigerian striker #09 Taiwo Awoniyi (C) and Leicester City's Argentinian midfielder #40 Facundo Buonanotte (L) collide in the post of the goal during the English Premier League football match between Nottingham Forest and Leicester City at The City Ground in Nottingham, central England, on May 11, 2025
Awoniyi underwent "urgent surgery on a serious abdominal injury"(Image: Getty Images)
Nottingham Forest forward Taiwo Awoniyi is out of his induced coma and is recovering well.
The Nigerian forward had a procedure on Monday night, and was placed into an induced coma to help restrict his movement and regulate his heart rate. The Mail Online now report that the second part of the procedure was completed on Wednesday, with Awoniyi's condition being monitored in hospital. He is awake after the surgery and is recovering with his family.
The Nigerian star received on-field medical attention after a collision with the goalpost in his attempt to net a goal.
The club hit back at attacks against their owner as they claimed that the seriousness of Awoniyi’s injury proved why owner Evangelos Marinakis stormed on to the pitch after the match. They took aim at the "fake news" which suggested he confronted boss Nuno Espirito Santo after two dropped points.
TOPSHOT - Nottingham Forest's Nigerian striker #09 Taiwo Awoniyi (C) and Leicester City's Argentinian midfielder #40 Facundo Buonanotte (L) react after colliding during the English Premier League football match between Nottingham Forest and Leicester City at The City Ground in Nottingham, central England, on May 11, 2025. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Awoniyi smashed into the goalpost as he collided with Buonanotte
Nottingham Forest's statement read: "At Nottingham Forest, this principle is not just policy for us; it is the deeply held belief and conviction of our owner. To Evangelos Marinakis, this isn't just a football club - it's family - and he instils that message in all of us.
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"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.
Nottingham Forest's Nigerian striker #09 Taiwo Awoniyi (C-L) and Leicester City's Argentinian midfielder #40 Facundo Buonanotte (C-R) receives medical attention after colliding during the English Premier League football match between Nottingham Forest and Leicester City at The City Ground in Nottingham, central England, on May 11, 2025. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Nottingham Forest owner described the club as a "family" after the event
"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.
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"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."
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