Awoniyi suffered concussion, broken nose — Nuno

Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has confirmed that striker Taiwo Awoniyi suffered a concussion and a broken nose in Forest’s FA Cup fourth-round victory over Exeter City on Tuesday night, NewsNGR Sports Extra reports.

The Nigerian forward, who scored Forest’s second goal before his injury, had to be stretchered off after a collision inside the penalty area that led to a lengthy delay in the match.

“It was a concussion and I think he broke his nose,” Nuno told Nottingham Post after the game.

“He is in a lot of pain but has a smile on his face because he did an amazing job and scored for us, which we were delighted about. He has already been checked and is OK to travel (back).”

The injury comes as another setback for the 27-year-old striker who has endured a frustrating campaign, managing just 248 minutes of Premier League football spread over two starts and 17 substitute outings this season.

Last month, Awoniyi had ended a 324-day goal drought for the club in their 3-0 win over Wolves, showing signs of returning to the form that saw him score 10 goals and provide one assist in 27 games in his debut season.

Before the injury, Nuno had backed the Nigerian to rediscover his best form despite limited playing time.

“Taiwo can absolutely get back (to that previous level). Yes, absolutely, because he shows it every day. He works very hard and we cannot forget the importance of Taiwo to Forest and the history of what he has done for the club,” the Portuguese coach said.

The injury to Awoniyi means Nuno will need to reassess his options, having previously used the Nigerian to rest leading marksman Chris Wood at the end of fixtures.

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