Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi was in action for Nigeria on Thursday. The Super Eagles were stunned by Lesotho who held them to a 1-1 draw in World Cup qualification.
Awoniyi has given Forest a bit of a scare. It was announced over the weekend that the player has returned to Nottingham to be assessed after picking up a groin problem during the game.
The 26-year-old has been struggling with his groin this season and has only recently returned to action. As a result, Forest will be hoping that this is nothing serious with their influential talisman.
Awoniyi praised for Nigeria performance
The striker did okay during his most recent performance for Nigeria, despite their shock result. Awoniyi was praised by the national media for his efforts on Thursday night.
Forest star Awoniyi was given a 7/10 for his display and Soccernet claimed: “Despite limited opportunities, he displayed glimpses of impact when chances arose.”
Awoniyi won’t play when Nigeria face Zimbabwe next up. Instead, he will work on being fully fit by the time that Brighton arrive at the City Ground next Saturday.
Forest need Awoniyi fit and firing
The Reds can’t afford to be without Awoniyi for any longer this season. He’s integral to the team’s fortunes and he scored his first goal since August at West Ham last weekend.
Forest landed Awoniyi for a fee of around £18 million in the summer of 2022. The talisman scored 11 goals for the Reds last season as he helped the team secure their Premier League survival.
It’s a real shame for Awoniyi that he won’t be able to play for Nigeria when they take on Zimbabwe later today. Ola Aina is still with the squad and he will hope to get the chance to start.
Forest will hope that this latest withdrawal from the Nigeria squad for Awoniyi is nothing more than a precaution. Steve Cooper knows how important he is and hopefully, there will be some good news on the injury front this week.
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