Nottingham Forest and Super Eagles striker, Taiwo Awoniyi, is recovering well after undergoing emergency surgery for a serious abdominal injury. The striker had been placed in an induced coma but has now regained consciousness.
Awoniyi was injured after crashing into the goalpost during Forest’s 2-2 draw against Leicester City on Sunday. He suffered a ruptured intestine and was rushed to the hospital where he had an initial procedure on Monday, followed by a second operation on Wednesday.
His teammate, Ola Aina, confirmed the striker’s improving condition and said he had sent Awoniyi a message of support.
“I’ve heard he’s doing well. I sent him a message, and the whole team is supporting him. We just pray everything goes well from here,” Aina told the Daily Mail.
The incident has sparked debate about the Premier League’s offside rule. Awoniyi got injured while trying to stop an attack where teammate Anthony Elanga appeared clearly offside. However, under current rules, the assistant referee delayed raising the flag until after the play ended.
Aina, upset by the incident, criticized the rule, saying it could have been avoided if the offside was called immediately.
“Elanga was miles offside. Everyone saw it. If the flag had gone up early, none of this would’ve happened,” he said.
Under IFAB rules introduced in 2020, assistant referees are told to delay flagging for offside in clear goal-scoring situations until the play is completed.
Many in the football world are now calling for a review of the delayed offside rule, especially in light of Awoniyi’s injury.
