Football fans fume at 'ridiculous' VAR rules after Taiwo Awoniyi placed into induced coma

The injury was sustained in the latter stages of the game, after the striker collided with the frame of the goal at pace, leaving him in agony on the floor.

After receiving medical attention, the Nigerian international was kept on the pitch, despite being in visible pain, while boss Nuno Espírito Santo substituted teammate Elliot Anderson off instead due to a miscommunication between medical and coaching staff.

Awoniyi, 27, is suffering from a serious abdominal injury, which required him to be rushed to hospital for urgent surgery, in which the first part of the procedure is reported to have gone well.

The striker is currently in an induced coma, with the rest of the procedure due to be completed on Wednesday.

Fans have had their say on the incident, however, as Awoniyi was clearly offside in the build-up to the incident - meaning the game should have been stopped and prevented the injury.

Following the introduction of VAR, linesmen have been told to refrain from flagging an offside until the phase of play is over, so as not to wrongly disallow a goal.

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It has been a contentious subject for many years within football, and supporters have finally had enough, taking to social media to vent their frustrations and concerns with the ‘stupid’ rules.

One fan wrote: “Another preventable injury from 'play on' when clearly there was an offside in the build up."

Another said: “Totally preventable as well, if only the lino had flagged for offside as the player was clearly offside...something like this was always going to happen.”

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A third said: “And all because of this stupid rule that even clear offsides can’t be given until the phase of play has ended. Everyone said eventually there’d be a serious injury, and here it is.”

A fourth called the decision ‘unjustifiably idiotic’ and ‘moronic’, while another described it as 'ridiculous'.

The rule change came after Jonjo Shelvey’s controversial goal at Bramall Lane in 2019, where the midfielder was flagged offside but tapped the ball into an almost empty net anyway.

Despite Sheffield United players stopping as a result of the flag, VAR ruled it a goal with Shelvey being onside.

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While both scenarios are downright ludicrous, it must be said that common sense in football is long gone, and Awoniyi has been a victim of the lack of logic within the game.

Nottingham Forest released an official statement on Tuesday, confirming the severity of Awoniyi’s injury.

The statement read: “Nottingham Forest can confirm that Taiwo Awoniyi is recovering well so far following urgent surgery on a serious abdominal injury sustained during Sunday’s match against Leicester City.

“The seriousness of his injury is a powerful reminder of the physical risks in the game, and why a player’s health and well-being must always come first.

"At Nottingham Forest, this principle is not just a policy for us; it is a deeply held belief and conviction of our owner.”

Awoniyi’s injury is an important reality check for the Premier League to reconsider its current offside laws, in order to prevent serious injuries from happening unnecessarily again.