Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo has confirmed that Taiwo Awoniyi missed his side’s 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa due to a hamstring injury, adding to the striker’s growing list of injury concerns this season.
The Super Eagles forward, who has struggled with injuries, had a rare start in Forest’s midweek victory over Manchester United, where he played 85 minutes.
However, the injury-plagued Forest squad was without their key forward when they faced Villa, leaving them to play without a recognized striker in the loss.
Forest faced a difficult first half at Villa Park, with goals from Donyell Malen and Morgan Rodgers putting the home side in control.
Despite a more competitive second-half display, Forest failed to convert their chances, and the defeat left them with little to show for their efforts.
Taiwo Awoniyi on the turf. Photo Credit: Imago
After the match, Nuno Espirito Santo addressed Awoniyi’s absence, revealing that the 27-year-old forward had picked up a hamstring injury during the game against Manchester United.
“He felt his hamstring in the game [against Manchester United],” Santo explained.
“When I spoke to you on Thursday, I already knew. I am sorry I didn’t tell you. We are going to have to assess day by day, him and Chris [Wood], to see if they can help us in the next one.”
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Santo confirmed that both Awoniyi and Wood will undergo daily assessments to determine if they will be fit for upcoming matches.
“It is day by day. Chris [Wood] is improving, and let’s see about the results of Taiwo’s scan, then we’ll have a better idea,” he said.
The manager also expressed the impact of missing a key striker in his tactical setup. “For me, football is about strikers,” Santo said.
“We missed Chris, and we missed T, because of the way we play. We need a reference player. It’s very hard for Anthony, Callum, Jota, and Sosa to do the same. It’s not the same.”
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The loss to Villa is a setback for Forest as they continue to battle for a place in the UEFA Champions League. The defeat leaves them five points behind second-place Arsenal and just four points ahead of Chelsea, who are in fourth.
