Taiwo Awoniyi: Nuno Espirito Santo reveals 'positive' update on Nottingham Forest star after emergency surgery | OneFootball

Nigerian striker was placed in an induced coma after needing urgent treatment on an abdominal injury suffered against Leicester

Nuno Espirito Santo has revealed that Taiwo Awoniyi’s situation is “positive” after the Nottingham Forest striker woke from an induced coma on Wednesday.

Forest revealed that Awoniyi was the reason behind owner Evangelos Marinakis’ storming of the City Ground pitch at full-time last Sunday, with the Greek seen in an animated exchange with manager Nuno having been frustrated that the forward was not substituted.

Now Nuno has issued a positive update on Awoniyi’s condition, saying his surgery “went well” and that he remained under observation in hospital.

“He went to surgery, surgery went well, thank God,” Nuno said. “He is under observation now, but he is recovering. We still have to wait for the doctors to allow visits.

“We are concerned but it is positive. It has been very difficult because of the concern of the injury, the situation he went through.

“It’s been very difficult, very difficult on us and on everybody, the concern of the injury that he had, the situation that he has been through, it’s been hard on us.”

Confrontation: Evangelos Marinakis and Nuno Espirito Santo remonstrate after the full-time whistle between Nottingham Forest and Leicester at the City Ground

AFP via Getty Images

Awoniyi is now awake and said to be communicating, but will remain hospitalised for the next few days.

“The information that we have is that at least five days he has to be there under observation, so that everything goes well,” Nuno continued.

“I’ll try to visit him as soon as possible. He’s in good hands, and the family is there, which is what he really needs – the support there of the family.

“The players are constantly chatting on the group [chats]. We know that he’s well, he just needs time.

“I hope that next week he can join us and be around because he’s a wonderful boy, a wonderful boy, and this season has been so hard on him that he feels so sorry.”

Nuno reflected on last week’s incident, and admitted that he would have immediately called for an ambulance had he known the seriousness of the injury.

“If I had to change something, it would be immediately, if we knew the seriousness of the injury, called the ambulance and take T [Awoniyi] to the hospital immediately,” Nuno said.

“But none of us knew that. But we have to move forward now.”