Nigeria's Awoniyi To Miss AFCON 2023 With Groin Injury

Awoniyi has been playing through the pain for Forest in recent weeks but aggravated the problem while on international duty with Nigeria.

The 26-year-old will now miss the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast for Nigeria.

Awoniyi joined Nottingham Forest from Union Berlin last summer and scored 10 goals in 27 Premier League games.

This season, he has scored four times in 10 top flight games.

“He is going to be out for months,” manager Steve Cooper said of Awoniyi ahead of Forest’s Premier League match against Brighton on Saturday. 

“We’ll support him and try to get him back as quick and as fit as he can be, but it’s a really unfortunate situation and a blow for him. He’s become an important player for us with the goals he’s scored and the goals he will score for us.”

"He's such a good guy and a good professional who is desperate to do well, so to get an injury like this is harsh on him.

"We've got to support him through the process of coming back stronger."

"We'll definitely see him again this season, but it's groin surgery so it will take a little while."