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Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi was placed in induced coma after undergoing the first phase of surgery on an abdominal injury on Monday, according to multiple reports. The surgery took place on Monday, one day after the incident during the Nottingham Forest vs. Leicester match when the Nigerian striker collided painfully with the post after coming on in the second half. The player was taken to the hospital on Monday, after the medical staff of the English team decided he needed urgent care after the injury sustained against Leicester. 

Sunday's injury was also the inciting incident for a heated on-pitch discussion between Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis and manager Nuno Espirito Santo, as the Portuguese coach decided to leave Awoniyi on the pitch despite the injury, as he received the green light from the medical staff. However, the health conditions of the Nigerian striker forced Forest to play with ten-men for the final minutes of the tie, as Espirito Santo already made his last substitution of the match in the first minute of stoppage time. 

The club issued an official statement 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. To Evangelos Marinakis, this isn't just a football club — it's family – and he instils that message in all of us. 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."

With two games left before the end of the 2024-25 campaign against West Ham and Chelsea, Forest have already qualified for Europe for the 2025-26 season, but are still in the race also for a spot in the Champions League, with a one-point game from the top five spots.