Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper has issued an update on the fitness of Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi ahead of the weekend’s encounter against Aston Villa.
Despite a recurrent ailment, Awoniyi could play in this weekend’s match against Aston Villa.
Awoniyi, who has been a great performer for Forest since his arrival last year, suffered an injury setback in his first season.
Although he made a successful comeback, scoring six goals in his final four games of the 2022-2023 season, his fitness has been a challenge this season.
His injury problems worsened right before the international break, forcing him to miss games against Crystal Palace and Luton Town.
Cooper discussed Awoniyi’s condition and the difficulties in managing the player’s ailment.
“Taiwo is a player that we have to manage, he’s in a bit of complex situation with his injury, and it’s an ongoing one and it’ll be for a little while,” Cooper told the media at the time.
“It’s more frustrating for him than anyone else because he was doing so well before, and this has really slowed him down.””It hasn’t been as simple as he’s back in training and fully fit.”
It’s something that will be a management process for a while, so we’ll see if he’s available for the weekend.
“We hope he is but it could go either way and we’ll see.”
Nottingham Forest, who have gone six games without a win, are in desperate need of a win to avoid relegation.
Awoniyi’s presence would surely improve their prospects, but his availability is uncertain as the club prepares for the vital match against Aston Villa.
