Nottingham Forest midfielder Danilo has suffered a broken ankle and is in hospital for further assessments.
Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo confirmed the diagnosis for the Brazilian midfielder in the aftermath of his side’s Premier League opening day 1-1 draw against Bournemouth.
The 23-year-old was involved in an accidental collision with Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo in the middle of the pitch which left both players requiring immediate medical attention.
The incident occurred in the eighth minute of the match with a seven-minute delay in which Danilo received treatment on the pitch, with netting being placed around the Brazilian for privacy, before he was carried off on a stretcher.
“It was a horrible moment for everyone,” Nuno said of Danilo’s injury after the game. “He has been to hospital (The Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham).
“There are some examinations he still needs to have, but he has broken his ankle. It is serious and we are going to miss him, not only on the pitch, but also around the place, because he is a wonderful boy. He is always smiling.
“He brings us joy and we wish him the best. You could see how bad it was by the reaction of the other players — not just our players — and also everyone else in the stadium, who tried to cover him up. Everyone realised how serious it was.
“These moments stay in the heads of the players. But I think their response was good. It has had an impact on the players in the dressing room, because everyone loves him so much.”
The match was delayed for seven minutes as Danilo received medical treatment (Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)
Nuno added: “I think he will leave hospital tonight but will be assessed tomorrow. It was serious but the good news is that he is stable, he is speaking, he is aware.
“I cannot say (how long he will be out for). But I just wish that it is short, because he is a very important player for us.”
Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola said of the incident: “I think the most important thing is the injury. We could see straightaway/ I realised it’s going to be very bad. I hope it’s not as bad as it looks but it looked a really bad one.”
The match ended 1-1 with Chris Wood’s opening goal for the hosts midway through the first half cancelled out by Semenyo’s late equaliser for Iraola’s Bournemouth.
Danilo joined Forest from Palmeiras for a fee in the region of £16million in January 2022 with the midfielder signing a six-and a-half-year contract.
Saturday was the Brazilian’s 50th appearance for the club, for whom he started 20 matches in the Premier League in the 2023-24 campaign.
(Mike Egerton/PA Images via Getty Images)
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