£17m striker knew he had to leave Liverpool after training with Mohamed Salah

Taiwio Awoniyi is set to miss out on his latest reunion with former club Liverpool when Nottingham Forest travel to Anfield on Sunday.

The Nigeria international started the season in a rich vein of form, scoring in each of the Tricky Trees’ first three games of the campaign before recording back-to-back assists. Such a run was just a continuation from the end of last season, having returned six goals and an assist from Forest’s final six games of the campaign to help secure their Premier League survival.

However, the 26-year-old has missed Forest’s last two games with a groin injury, and could remain sidelined for a further two weeks. Consequently, Steve Cooper will be without the striker’s services this weekend against Liverpool.

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Awoniyi actually scored the winner for Forest against the Reds at the City Ground last October, before making his first appearance at Anfield as Jurgen Klopp’s side ran out 3-2 winners back in April.

That outing was a dream come true for the striker, having never made an appearance during his six years at Liverpool due to not being granted a work permit. But looking back on the defeat, Awoniyi admits he felt mixed emotions facing his former club.

“It’s been a long journey!” he said. “Last season playing at Anfield was a dream come true,” he said. “Of course I probably dreamed of playing there for Liverpool before I left, so playing there against them, it was a mixed feeling, I would say.”

The Reds would sell Awoniyi to Union Berlin in a £6.5m deal in July 2021, following a succession of loans in Germany,