Ola Aina Slams Premier League for Taiwo Awoniyi’s Abdominal Injury, States Major Reason

• Super Eagles defender Ola Aina has blamed the Premier League’s delayed offside flag rule for Taiwo Awoniyi’s injury
• Awoniyi has woken up from an induced coma and is recovering after emergency surgery for a ruptured intestine
• The entire Nottingham Forest squad has rallied in support of the Nigerian forward as his injury sparks officiating debate

Super Eagles defender Ola Aina has voiced strong criticism of the Premier League’s offside rule, blaming it for teammate Taiwo Awoniyi’s serious abdominal injury sustained during Nottingham Forest’s 2-2 draw against Leicester City.

Awoniyi, who collided with the post in the closing moments of the match, was later diagnosed with a ruptured intestine and placed in an induced coma to aid recovery.

According to The Mirror, the 27-year-old striker has since come out of the coma and is reportedly recovering well after undergoing a second surgical procedure.

Aina, clearly emotional, expressed frustration over the incident and pointed fingers at match officials for failing to raise the offside flag before the dangerous sequence of play that led to the injury.

Aina blames delayed offside call

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Aina did not hold back in criticising assistant referee Sian Massey-Ellis for not flagging Anthony Elanga offside earlier in the build-up.

The delayed call, he argued, directly contributed to the sequence of events that saw Awoniyi collide with the post and sustain internal injuries.

"Anthony was miles offside. The whole world could see it. From where I was standing, it was obvious. Just lift the flag up," Aina lamented.

"This wouldn’t have happened to ‘T’ if that decision was made immediately. It’s heartbreaking.”

The Super Eagles defender also said that the entire Nottingham Forest squad is affected by the incident and have been united in support of their teammate, who is currently under close medical supervision with his family by his side.

"This is our teammate and brother” - Ola Aina

Aina expressed how devastating it has been to witness a close friend and teammate suffer such a traumatic injury.

“This is our teammate and brother, someone we spend most of the year with,” he said.

“We’ve all sent him messages, and we’re just praying everything goes to plan.”

Awoniyi initially attempted to continue playing after receiving medical treatment on the pitch, but was rushed to the hospital almost immediately after, where doctors made the call to induce a coma.

According to ESPN, the decision was made to stabilise his heart rate and reduce movement for optimal recovery.

Premier League rule sparks debate

The incident involving Awoniyi has reignited discussions around the Premier League’s practice of allowing play to continue before flagging for offside.

This policy is aimed at preserving the integrity of potential goal-scoring opportunities, but is now under scrutiny for its safety implications.

Awoniyi wakes from induced coma

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Awoniyi has regained consciousness following an induced coma after undergoing urgent surgery to address a critical abdominal injury.

The injury occurred during a collision with a goalpost in the final moments of Forest’s 2-2 draw against Leicester City on Sunday.

Awoniyi suffered a ruptured intestine from the impact, and on Monday, he was rushed to the hospital where he underwent the first phase of a complex surgical procedure to repair the damage.

Source: Legit.ng