Nuno Espirito Santo, Nottingham Forest’s head coach, has detailed how he manages the workload of striker Taiwo Awoniyi.
The forward was out of action for more than two months following groin surgery. He returned at the end of January but is still working his way back to full match sharpness.
Due to Chris Wood’s injury, Awoniyi has had to play more minutes in a shorter period of time than the Reds would have wanted, therefore Nuno is still treading gently with the Nigeria international, both in training and during games.
When asked if he had to adapt Awoniyi’s programme, the Portuguese replied, “Yes, we do. We are being cautious with him, respecting his recovery period and limiting the intensity of his workout. We have to be really cautious because he suffered a serious injury. We are very aware of this.”
Ahead of today’s 3 p.m. match against Liverpool, Awoniyi played the entire 90 minutes in Wednesday night’s FA Cup loss to Manchester United. He previously played 45 minutes against Aston Villa last weekend and 67 minutes in a 2-0 win over West Ham United.
The frontman “is doing better” in terms of fitness. When deciding how long Awoniyi will appear, Nuno considers how he feels.
“It all depends on him, and how he feels. “We have good communication, which is the most basic and fundamental thing, so we can make the best decisions,” the Reds manager stated.
“It’s all about how he feels. Our top objective is to safeguard him as much as we can.
The restoration of Wood may soon benefit Forest. The New Zealander has been away since the end of January, although he is reported to be close to returning.
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