Taiwo Awoniyi brought out of intensive care: Nottingham Forest striker enters recovery after emergency surgery

Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi has been brought out of an induced coma following emergency bowel surgery. While his condition has stabilised, this marks a major turning point in a situation that had caused deep concern within the club and across the football community.

The incident occurred in the final moments of last week’s 2–2 draw between Leicester City and Nottingham Forest. After a collision near the goalmouth, Awoniyi attempted to continue playing despite being clearly unwell, as manager Nuno Espírito Santo had already used all available substitutions. The seriousness of the situation only became apparent later.

According to the Daily Mail, the player underwent his first emergency operation on Monday. Following a second procedure on Wednesday, he was brought out of the coma under medical supervision.

Official statement from Nottingham Forest

The club issued a formal statement on 13 May 2025:

“We are pleased to report that Taiwo has reached a significant milestone in his recovery. His condition continues to improve. His bravery throughout this process, along with the professionalism of our medical team, gives us great hope.”

Forest’s statement went on to say that the incident served as a reminder of football’s physical risks and reaffirmed that player safety remains a top priority. It was also noted that club owner Evangelos Marinakis had provided personal support to Awoniyi and his family throughout the ordeal.

Offside protocol under renewed scrutiny

The incident has reignited debate around VAR implementation and offside protocol. Under current rules, assistant referees delay raising their flag until a play is completed to allow for VAR review. However, many players and commentators have previously warned that this practice can lead to avoidable injuries.

In this instance, Anthony Elanga was clearly in an offside position at the start of the attacking move. No flag was raised, and play continued. During this phase, the collision that led to Awoniyi’s injury occurred.

Ola Aina: “This wouldn’t have happened if the flag had gone up”

Ola Aina, who was on the pitch at the time, gave the following comments:

“Anthony was obviously offside. Everyone could see it — I saw it clearly from where I was. I immediately thought it was offside. Why wasn’t the flag raised?” “If it’s offside, raise the flag — just like we used to. Make the call, move on.”

Aina continued:

“This isn’t just a teammate. It’s someone we spend most of the year with — he’s like a brother. It’s affected all of us. All we can do now is support him.” “When something like this happens to someone close to you, it breaks you inside. I’m praying to God that everything goes well. We’ve all messaged him. Hopefully, we’ll hear back from him soon.”

Taiwo Awoniyi remains under observation in hospital. Discharge will be considered based on further evaluation. Nottingham Forest continue to provide the public with cautious but encouraging updates.