Nottingham Forest forward Taiwo Awoniyi has woken from an induced coma after having surgery to repair a serious abdominal injury. The incident that led to this situation occurred during a tense match against Leicester City, where the striker collided forcefully with a goalpost in the closing stages of a thrilling 2-2 draw.
Awoniyi was taken to the hospital on Monday, where an initial assessment revealed that he had sustained a ruptured intestine from the collision. This serious injury prompted immediate surgical intervention. During the first part of the surgery performed on Monday, specialized medical staff began repairing the damage, but the necessity for close monitoring led to Awoniyi being placed in an induced coma on Tuesday. This method allowed doctors to carefully observe his condition as they managed the complications arising from such a significant injury.
On Wednesday, Awoniyi underwent the second stage of the operation, which involved closing the wound and completing the necessary repairs. Thankfully, by early evening, he was successfully awakened from the induced coma, signaling a positive step in his recovery journey.
In the aftermath of this distressing incident, Nottingham Forest is set to open an internal review into how the events unfolded during the match. There is considerable concern about the handling of Awoniyi’s injury on the pitch, particularly given that he had received lengthy medical attention right after the collision yet reportedly expressed a desire to continue playing. Despite appearing to signal to medics that he was ready to go back on the field, it soon became apparent that he was still feeling the adverse effects of the incident.
By the time head coach Nuno Espirito Santo realized the severity of Awoniyi’s condition, he had already used up his allocation of substitutes, leaving the team in a precarious situation. Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis even came onto the pitch after the match to voice his worries to Espirito Santo about how the incident was managed, highlighting the gravity of the situation regarding Awoniyi’s health, especially as television footage clearly showed the Nigerian player in evident discomfort.
The club is now focused on determining the facts surrounding the decision to allow Awoniyi to return to play after the collision. Following the confirmation of Awoniyi’s surgery, Nottingham Forest released a statement expressing a “shared frustration between all of us that the medical team should never have allowed the player to continue.” This statement underscores the importance of player health and safety and reflects the sentiment that protocols will be closely examined to prevent such situations from occurring in the future.
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