Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi has suffered another injury setback that forced him to miss Nottingham Forest’s first pre-season fixture against Chesterfield on Saturday, July 13.
Awoniyi reportedly picked up a slight knock during the Reds’ first week back at the Nigel Doughty Academy after their summer break.
“He [Awoniyi] had a problem in the first training session of the week,” Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santos said.
“Let’s see how long it takes. It was something in his calf. Unfortunately, not (for today). Hopefully, he doesn’t miss too much of the pre-season. For all of them, it (pre-season) is important, and more so for Taiwo.”
Awoniyi had an injury-plagued 2023/24 season where he struggled with an ankle and a groin injury that necessitated surgery. The 26-year-old managed 20 appearances, with eight as a substitute in the Reds’ 38-long fixture English Premier League (EPL) season.
His fitness issues also ruled him out of Nigeria’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign as well as the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic in June.
Despite this latest knock, Awoniyi is expected to join Forest’s training camp in Spain this week. The two-time European Cup (now UEFA Champions League) champion will face Sunderland, Millwall, and Elche at the Pinatar Arena in San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain.
Awoniyi reportedly picked up a slight knock during the Reds’ first week back at the Nigel Doughty Academy after their summer break.
“He [Awoniyi] had a problem in the first training session of the week,” Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santos said.
“Let’s see how long it takes. It was something in his calf. Unfortunately, not (for today). Hopefully, he doesn’t miss too much of the pre-season. For all of them, it (pre-season) is important, and more so for Taiwo.”
Awoniyi had an injury-plagued 2023/24 season where he struggled with an ankle and a groin injury that necessitated surgery. The 26-year-old managed 20 appearances, with eight as a substitute in the Reds’ 38-long fixture English Premier League (EPL) season.
His fitness issues also ruled him out of Nigeria’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign as well as the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic in June.
Despite this latest knock, Awoniyi is expected to join Forest’s training camp in Spain this week. The two-time European Cup (now UEFA Champions League) champion will face Sunderland, Millwall, and Elche at the Pinatar Arena in San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain.
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