Awoniyi aims to be back to his best for Forest run-in... again
TAIWO AWONIYI insists he will be fighting fit to lead Nottingham Forest’s survival bid – for the second season running.
The Nigeria striker’s six goals in the Reds’ final four games of last term proved crucial.
And how Forest could do with a repeat as they struggle down at the bottom of the Premier League.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are 16th in the table – just two points above the drop zone – and with
Chris Wood out with a hamstring problem, a fit Awoniyi is vital.
The No.9 is only just working his way back after two-and-a-half months out with a groin injury and boosted his confidence with the winning penalty against Bristol City in the FA Cup on Wednesday.
Awoniyi said: “It will take me a few more games to really get going, but my fitness is improving and I feel good.
“I feel happy to be back in the team and I’m excited. I still need a couple of games, we’ll see how it goes. But hopefully I will be back to my best for the final run-in.”
Forest struggled against the Robins in midweek and there were concerns over the fitness of numerous players in extra-time.
But Awoniyi was one of the few who relished the extra minutes after a tough couple of months that also saw him ruled out of the Africa Cup of Nations.
He said: “You need minutes to get going and I was probably the only one that wanted the game to go to extra-time!
“Wednesday felt good and I just knew I couldn’t let my team down at this point with my penalty.
“We had to dig deep – and did exactly that.”
The 26-year-old (above) now wants to reward the Forest faithful with a first league win of 2024.
He said: “We just want to get higher than we are in the table and start winning games. That is the goal for us now.”