Nottingham Forest striker woken from induced coma as the club looks to investigate handling of frightening incident

Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi has woken from a medically induced coma after undergoing urgent surgery for an abdominal injury.

Awoniyi was left in visible discomfort after colliding with the goal frame late in the second half of Forest's 2-2 draw against Leicester in the Premier League on Sunday.

The striker received on-field treatment from medics but was not substituted off following the incident, returning to play the final minutes.

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It was later revealed that Awoniyi was rushed from City Ground to hospital, where he underwent the first stage of surgery on Monday (AEST).

According to reports by British Media, it is understood Awoniyi had ruptured his intestine.

He underwent the second stage of surgery on Wednesday to close the wound. Awoniyi was then woken from his induced coma on Thursday morning (AEST).

Forest confirmed that the 27-year-old was "recovering well" after the first surgery.

The club was unable to give an indication of how long their striker will be sidelined for after the first surgery.

However, Forest are set to open an internal review into the incident.

The extent of the injury was the subject of a heavily debated on-field discussion between the club's manager and owner after the full time whistle on Sunday.

Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis stormed onto the field and was seen giving team manager Nuno Espiritio Sano a spray over the handling of Awoniyi's injury.

Santo revealed the club owner was frustrated with the miscommunication between the bench and the team's medical staff as Awoniyi played on in visible discomfort.

Santo elected to use his final substitution in the first minute of stoppage time, taking off Elliot Anderson for Jota Silva while his striker continued to signal he was OK.

Awoniyi's discomfort effectively left Forest fighting for a win with just 10 players.

In a statement, Forest said that Awoniyi's injury was "a powerful reminder of the physical risks in the game and why a player's health and wellbeing must always come first."

"At Nottingham Forest, we believe the mental and physical well-being of our players and coaching staff must always take precedence," the statement continued.

"In moments like these, the game must unite around those who put their bodies and minds on the line every week. That's what real leadership looks like in our game.

"To Evangelos Marinakis, this isn't just a football club — it's family – and he instils that message in all of us. That is why he was so personally and emotionally invested in the situation that unfolded at the City Ground on Sunday.

"His reaction was one of deep care, responsibility, and emotional investment in one of our own.

"In the final 10 minutes of the game, when he saw our player clearly in discomfort, struggling through visible pain, it became increasingly difficult for him to stay on the sidelines.

"His deep frustration at seeing our player lying on the ground in severe pain – something no one with genuine care could ignore – triggered him to go onto the pitch.

"It was instinctive, human, and a reflection of just how much this team and its people mean to him. He would do the same again if such an unfortunate event were ever to reoccur.

"There was only shared frustration between all of us (at the stadium or on the pitch) was that the medical team should never have allowed the player to continue."

With two rounds of the season to go, Forest is seventh - one point behind fifth-placed Chelsea.