Nottingham forest director Nuno Espirito Santo said he was waiting for Taiwo Awoniyi to be authorized to have more visitors to the hospital and knows that the 27 -year -old is “good” after two abdominal operations at an induced coma.
Awoniyi was seriously injured when he collided with a position during the 2-2 draw from Forest at home to Leicester City on Sunday, but the Nigerian international was awakened from a coma and could “be around” the team during the last week of the Premier League season, according to Santo.
“I will try to visit as soon as possible,” said Santo, adding that Woniyi is required to spend at least five days under observation.
“He is in good hands and his family is there, what he really needs. Players are constantly discussing groups. We know he’s going well – he just needs time.”
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Taiwo awoniyi injury: Forest Forward ‘Wonderful Boy’
The former striker of Liverpool and the Union Berlin Awoniyi was admitted on Monday evening, placed in coma on Tuesday and awakened on Wednesday.
“I hope that next week, he can join us and be there, because he is a wonderful boy,” said Santo. “This season has been so difficult for him, so we feel so sorry for him.
“Surgery went well, thank God, so it is observation now. He recovers. We still have to wait for doctors to allow visits. His family is there. We are worried but we are positive.
“If I had to change something, it would be – if we knew the seriousness of the injury – to call the ambulance to take T to the hospital immediately. But none of us knew it.”
“He’s a wonderful boy.” ❤️
Nuno with an update on Taiwo. 🗣️
– Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) May 16, 2025
Santo: the referees have “instructions to follow”
The incident took place while the game was authorized to continue before the confirmation of an offside decision, which increases the debate on the modification of the rules to allow assistant referees to stop the game earlier.
Santo said civil servants could not be “blamed” for what had happened because the “law is like that” and the arbitrators have “instructions to follow”.
The former referee of the Premier League, Keith Hackett, said this week that the protocol on the criticisms of the video assistant (VAR) could endanger the players.
“With the introduction of Var came the assistant assistant process by delaying the flag to indicate the offside to the result – either a goal or a possession of the ball by the defense,” said Hackett on Radio 5 Live, via BBC Sport.
“It is a question of ensuring that when the assistant referee makes a mistake on a decision of offside, this does not have an impact on the incorrectly excluded objective.
Our last trip outside the season. 🛣️ pic.twitter.com/m4d2xjposp
– Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) May 16, 2025
West Ham vs Forest
The forest is visiting the sixth row West Ham on Sunday (2:15 pm BST) before welcoming Chelsea on the last day of May 25 (4:00 p.m.) in a match that could decide which of the two clubs qualified for the Champions League.
“It was very difficult for us and for everyone, because of the injury [Awoniyi] had and the situation he went through, “said Santo.
“It was difficult for us. We have to move forward now. We cannot accept that after all that we have done, now our attention is not on what is really important – the game against West Ham.
“It is more difficult, especially because of the absence of T and the concern of players. They tried to get news.
“It upsets everyone. We would change everything to have good health with us. But we have to move forward. It is our obligation to prepare for the game. ”
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Table of the Premier League: Forest Target Champions League
The forest fell in the seventh after a trial of the league without three -game victory and is guaranteed to finish this position at least.
Without doubt the surprise packages of the high -flying season, the Santo team is a point behind the blues in the fifth and last qualification point of the Champions League and three timids of Manchester City, fourth, although these two teams have a significant goal of them.
They are sure to carry out their highest level of league since 1994/95, when they arrived third.
Before the penultimate round of the Premier League matches, experts in statistics Opta gave Forest a 17.1% chance of finishing in the top five.
Opta Impte Forest has 59.4% chance of coming seventh, 23.4% for the sixth, 13.1% for the fifth and 0.4% of the third, with Chelsea the team they consider most likely to occupy the last place of qualification of the Champions League.
Has the forest already been in the Champions League?
Forest never reached the Modern Champions League, but won the competition in 1978/79 and 1979/80, when it was called the European Cup.
Their last participation in the European Cup was in 1980/81, with their three continental campaigns since the UEFA Cup, which is now known as the Europa League.
More recently, they crossed three laps of the UEFA Cup to reach the quarter-finals in 1995/96, losing 7-2 on the aggregates In Bayern Munich.
