Injury Concerns for Awoniyi and Forest's Striker Crisis Deepen Ahead of GW32
Hey everyone, let’s talk about some significant updates from Nottingham Forest, especially around Taiwo Awoniyi, and how this might shake things up in Fantasy Premier League moving forward.
So, coming into Gameweek 31, many of us were expecting either Chris Wood or Taiwo Awoniyi to start for Forest. Wood’s absence wasn’t too surprising, considering his ongoing recovery, but what really caught people off guard was Awoniyi’s sudden omission from the squad. He’d been stepping up in Wood’s absence and looked likely to lead the line again, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Now, according to Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo, the situation with Awoniyi is pretty concerning. Apparently, he felt something in his hamstring during the previous match, and although Nuno already had an idea on Thursday, he didn’t share the details at the time. He’s since confirmed it’s now a day-by-day assessment, both for Awoniyi and Chris Wood. That doesn’t sound too promising for Fantasy managers or Forest fans hoping for a quick return.
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With both strikers unavailable, Forest had to improvise—and that meant playing Morgan Gibbs-White in a sort of false nine role. On the flanks, Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi were pushed further forward. They had some decent breakaway chances early on, but the setup clearly lacked a central focal point. And then to make matters worse, Elanga—who’s been in great form—was subbed off at halftime with discomfort. Nuno mentioned they’ll need to scan him too, and again, it’s a “wait and see” situation. That’s potentially three key attacking players sidelined.
It’s clear Forest really missed having a physical striker up top. Nuno even admitted as much, saying strikers are vital to how they play. Without that reference point in the middle, their attack struggled to click, especially in the first half.
But credit to them, they rallied in the second half. Jota Silva came on and made a big impact, scoring and pressing high. Neco Williams also stepped up big time—he led Forest in expected goal involvement and created four chances, one of which resulted in Jota’s goal. So there are glimmers of hope going into Gameweek 32, especially with Alex Moreno returning to address some of the defensive frailties.
However, with the availability of Awoniyi and Wood still in doubt, and now Elanga also a potential absentee, Nuno might need to get creative again. Forest fans will be hoping for positive scan results, but from a Fantasy Football perspective, it's definitely a headache if you’ve got Awoniyi or even Elanga in your squad. The smart move now is to monitor updates closely before locking in your transfers.
All eyes will be on Forest’s lineup news leading into GW32. It’s a crucial period, and any small injury update could have a huge ripple effect—both on the pitch and in our Fantasy teams.
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