Nottingham Forest are much concerned but positive about Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi after the Nigerian was put in an induced coma following a serious abdominal injury, the club’s manager, Nuno Espírito Santo, said on Friday.

The 27-year-old Nigerian international just had emergency surgery to repair internal damage.

He suffered the injury during the closing moments of Sunday’s English Premier League clash with Leicester City which ended 2-2.

Awoniyi was taken to hospital for the surgery’s first phase on Monday, with the second stage completed on Wednesday before he was woken up from the induced coma later that evening.

“He went to surgery, surgery went well. Thank God,” Santo said while speaking before Sunday’s trip to West Ham in the penultimate game of their season.

“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.”

Awoniyi was hurt when he collided with the post while trying to reach a cross from Anthony Elanga, who was offside in the build-up to the 88th-minute incident.

But the assistant referee did not raise the flag until play was completed due to an offside protocol introduced in 2020.

Nottingham Forest full-back Ola Aina was however concerned that the injury even happened at all, saying the offside flag should have been raised earlier by the assistant referee.

But Santo said medical staff were monitoring Awoniyi’s progress, adding “the information that we have is that at least five days. He has to be there under observation so that everything goes well.

“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 family support.

“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 entered through, it’s been hard on us.”

The coach added: “The players are constantly chatting on the (social media) groups. 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.”