Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper has delivered an update on the fitness of Taiwo Awoniyi. The Nigerian striker hasn’t played for the Reds since a 1-0 win over Southampton back in early January.
Awoniyi suffered a groin problem and he’s slowly but surely fighting his way back to full fitness. The 25-year-old scored in the game against the Saints and was just starting to get up to full fitness.
The striker was signed by Forest from Union Berlin during the summer. He cost the club £17.5 million and at the time it proved to be a club-record transfer fee for the Reds.
Awoniyi has scored five goals in all competitions during 2022/23. It was his overall performance levels that were starting to catch the eye, however, and he was winning the fan base over.
Forest will be desperate to get the striker back on the pitch for the run-in. Now, Cooper has provided an update on the Nigeria international and it would appear he’s doing well.
The head coach told Nottinghamshire Live: “Taiwo is making good progress. He is out on the grass and he’s running. He’s not with the team yet and not kicking any balls, but he has made progress in terms of not just straight-line running. It’s a positive step for him but he’s still weeks away from being close.”
Cooper has delivered an update on Awoniyi
It’s clear that the head coach would welcome the player back. He was a real menace on the left-hand side before injury struck and he’s scored some important goals during 2022/23.
Awoniyi was starting to win over the fan base. Like many of the club’s new signings, he did take some time to get going in the Premier League but Forest could do with him now.
The man with four caps for his country looks to seriously enjoy playing for Forest. He always plays the game with a smile on his face and has clearly bought into the ethos of playing for the Reds.
Awoniyi won’t be back just yet. As a result, perhaps the Reds will target getting the striker back on the pitch following the international break in a few weeks.
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