Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi has been placed in an induced coma after undergoing “urgent” surgery on an abdominal injury, sources told ESPN.
The Nigeria international was injured when he collided with the goal frame after coming on as a second-half substitute during the 2-2 draw against Leicester on Sunday.
The injury was the subject of a heavily debated on-field discussion between the club’s manager and owner.
Awoniyi was placed in an induced coma to aid his recovery from Monday’s operation by helping to restrict his movement and regulate his heart rate. The second part of his surgery is scheduled to completed on Wednesday.
Forest had released a statement after Awoniyi’s surgery, saying he was “recovering well.” The team has two games left in the Premier League — at West Ham and at home to Chelsea — as they seek to qualify for the Champions League.
After the game against Leicester, Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis entered the field and remonstrated with manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
Espirito Santo said Marinakis was frustrated because of a miscommunication between the bench and medical staff after the injury to Awoniyi.
After receiving treatment, the 27-year-old striker signaled he was OK to continue so Espirito Santo left him on and immediately made his final substitution, taking off Elliot Anderson for Jota Silva in the first minute of stoppage time.
However, Awoniyi was in discomfort for the rest of the game, effectively leaving Forest down to 10 players and hampering its hopes of a winner.
In its statement, Forest said Marinakis’ post-match reaction “was one of deep care, responsibility, and emotional investment in one of our own.”
“In moments like that, he demonstrates his leadership, not just through words, but through action and presence,” the statement read. “In the final 10 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.”
Marinakis relinquished his position as a person with significant control of Forest in recent weeks as the club closed in on unlikely Champions League qualification.
UEFA has rules to bar clubs from its competitions in any season if owners have “decisive influence” over two clubs which qualify. Marinakis is also president of Olympiakos, who have qualified as Greek champions.
With two rounds of the season to go, Forest are seventh — one point behind fifth-placed Chelsea. The top five will qualify for the Champions League.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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