The 27-year-old Nigerian international sustained the injury after colliding with the goalpost in the 88th minute of Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Leicester City at the City Ground. The incident occurred as Awoniyi attempted to meet a cross from Anthony Elanga.
Sources have told BBC Sport that the collision resulted in a ruptured intestine.
Awoniyi underwent emergency surgery on Monday night and remains hospitalized, with a second procedure scheduled for Wednesday. Forest confirmed in a statement on Tuesday that the striker is “recovering well” after the initial operation.
The forward, who had come on as a late substitute for Ibrahim Sangare, received extensive treatment on the pitch following the collision.
Elanga was in an offside position when he delivered the cross, but the assistant referee delayed raising the flag—standard protocol when a clear scoring opportunity is imminent. The play is allowed to continue so that VAR can review the incident if a goal is scored. However, the practice has drawn criticism for potentially exposing players to unnecessary risks.
After the match, Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis reportedly expressed concern to manager Nuno Espirito Santo about how the situation was handled. Marinakis is receiving regular updates on Awoniyi’s condition.
In their Tuesday statement, Forest described the incident as “a powerful reminder of the physical risks in the game and why a player's health and wellbeing must always come first.”
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