Nottingham Forest are awaiting the results of concussion checks on Taiwo Awoniyi to determine whether the striker can face Fulham this weekend.
Awoniyi sustained a broken nose in a challenge with Exeter goalkeeper Joe Whitworth on Tuesday night and was treated for over 10 minutes on the field at St James’ Park before departing on a stretcher.
He did emerge after the game to celebrate with his team-mates following the 4-2 penalty shoot-out win in the FA Cup fourth-round tie but his availability for Saturday depends on whether tests confirm he suffered a concussion.
If the results determine he did, he will be ruled out for 12 days as per the protocol and won’t return until the game against Newcastle on February 23 at the earliest.
Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo said: “We are waiting on clearances from the concussion protocols. I am not sure if he going to be available or not [for Fulham].
“He looks okay. He smiled, he is in pain, but in these situations we have to be careful. The right protocols, two or three days to settle down and we’ll see if he is available.”
Nuno previews our trip to the capital. 🗣️
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) February 13, 2025
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Nuno added: “He is progressing. He joined the group yesterday and today too. He was part of the sessions and we still have tomorrow to assess him and also a lot of players due to knocks.
“I am positive that [he will be in contention to be in the squad against Fulham] but we still need to be sure he is 100%. Let’s wait for tomorrow.”
Forest have overachieved this season – they sit third in the Premier League, three points behind second-placed Arsenal – partly due to keeping key players fit and Nuno says it is his job to find answers when injuries occur.
He said: “I don’t have to think about [injuries] when it doesn’t happen. When it happens, we have to find solutions. That is what is important for us.
“We have solutions when it comes to the depth of the squad. It will be better if we can keep everyone healthy till the end of the season and we can compete in both competitions till the end. We don’t operate on ‘ifs’. The important thing is we have balance and a good squad.”