Nottingham Forest manager, Nuno Espirito Santo, expressed satisfaction as Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi made a successful comeback after a prolonged injury, scoring a goal for the team.

Awoniyi had been sidelined with a groin injury since November 2023, sustained during an international friendly for Nigeria. This injury led to surgery and caused him to miss the 2023 AFCON in Ivory Coast, where Nigeria advanced to the quarter-finals without him.

In his first Premier League appearance of 2024, Santo brought Awoniyi on as a halftime substitute, and the 26-year-old netted Forest’s sixth goal in 11 Premier League games. Despite the team losing 2-1 to Arsenal, Awoniyi’s impactful performance included unsettling William Saliba in the penalty box and scoring in the 89th minute.

Having scored three goals in his last three Premier League games, Awoniyi’s quick return to form impressed Santo. The manager acknowledged that Awoniyi had only participated in two training sessions before the match but commended his positive influence on the game.

Santo stated, “It is a positive to have him back. It was not our plan to play him for so many minutes because he has just had two sessions with the team. But unfortunately, due to the situation with Chris (Wood), we decided to put him in. It is a positive that he played. He had minutes, he scored, he worked.”