Table of Contents
- Taiwo Awoniyi was under an induced coma awaiting a second surgery on Wednesday
- His intestines ruptured after crashing into a goal post on Sunday during Leicester vs Nottingham Forest game
- A team of specialist doctors termed his abdominal injury ‘serious’
Nigerian international and Nottingham Forest forward Taiwo Awoniyi was under an induced coma following his first surgery after sustaining an abnormal injury.
He underwent a first-phase surgery on Monday, May 12, and doctors induced him into a coma in readiness for a second surgery on Wednesday.
A team of specialist doctors termed his abdominal injury ‘serious’ and requires critical treatment.
Awoniyi is among the best players Forest has had this season.
What Happened to Taiwo Awoniyi?
The Forest striker hit a goal post on Sunday, May 11, during a match with Leicester City. Awoniyi hit the goal post in the 88th minute as the two teams held on to a 2-2 draw.
He was quickly rushed to the hospital for treatment. Medical reports showed that his intestines ruptured after the impact from the post.
Doctors performed the first emergency surgery on Monday but had to put him into a coma for proper recovery ahead of his second surgery.
Taiwo Awoniyi. Photo/France24
A statement by the club on Tuesday said that Taiwo Awoniyi had improved significantly since the first emergency surgery on Monday.
Gillian Tierney, a consulting colorectal surgeon, said Awoniyi’s injury is life-threatening. He added that it presented difficulty in diagnosing, which further put his life in danger.
Normally, it would take a CT scan and up to 10 hours to diagnose it.
“The injury is really serious. It is potentially life-threatening. It is very easy to miss at the point of contact and can take hours to diagnose. In a hospital setting we would send a patient for a CT scan which could take up to 10 hours,” he told BBC in an interview.
He explained that diagnosing intestinal fluid leak is very difficult. Survival chances after a proper diagnosis depend on how fit the patient is and the quality of surgery.
Dr Tierney said Taiwo Awoniyi had a good chance at making a full recovery since he is young and athletic. He mentioned that an 80-year-old would barely pull through if they suffered the same injuries Awoniyi did.
Pitch Treatment
Medical personnel on the pitch tried for hours to treat him before taking him to the hospital for specialised treatment.
Evangelos Marinakis, the Nottingham Forest owner, spoke to the club’s manager Nuno Espirito Santo, regarding the handling of Awoniyi’s injury.
Taiwo Awoniyi. Photo/Sk Sports
Marinakis insisted that a player’s health should always come first because football presents grave physical risks.
During a tense 2-2 game, Anthony Elanga made a quick run forward, and his teammate Elliot Anderson held onto the ball for a brief moment before passing it to him.
Leicester defender, Conor Coady, stepped forward just as the ball was played, which made Elanga appear to be clearly onside – there was space between him and the defender.
Normally, this would be a straightforward case: Elanga wasn’t offside. But here’s where it gets tricky.
When there’s a chance for a goal, assistant referees can’t raise their flag immediately, even if they think it might be offside.
They’re supposed to wait until the play ends, so they don’t stop a possible goal by mistake. After that, VAR can double-check everything.
Elanga was allowed to keep playing. He passed the ball across the goalpost to Taiwo Awoniyi, who came sprinting in.
Awoniyi and Leicester’s Facundo Buonanotte both dived to reach it. Awoniyi just managed to touch the ball, but it rolled wide.
Awoniyi crashed into the goalpost and was badly hurt, stopping the match for several minutes as he got medical help.
