Steve Cooper: Taiwo Awoniyi's injury was a big loss for Nottingham Forest

Cooper expressed regret over Awoniyi's three-month injury absence and commended his recent goal-scoring spree.

"You always want your number nine scoring goals," said Cooper, via the BBC.

"I've said before that we missed him a lot when he got injured and he missed three months.

"He was doing well just before that, so to get him back in the form he has shown has been excellent."

Awoniyi, who has been in sensational form for Nottingham Forest, continued his impressive run by scoring the opening goal in a thrilling 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace.

His goal not only gave Forest the lead but also made him the first player since the 2004/05 season to score the opening goal eight times in a single campaign for a newly-promoted club.

With six goals in his last four games, Awoniyi has been instrumental in Nottingham Forest's pursuit of securing a Premier League spot for the upcoming season.