- Nottingham Forest midfielder Danilo suffered a horrific ankle injury on Saturday
- He fell awkwardly after jumping to challenge Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo
- The match was delayed for seven minutes before Danilo was taken off on a stretcher.
Saturday’s Premier League season-opener between Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth was delayed for seven minutes after Danilo suffered a horrific ankle injury early in the first half.
Forest’s Brazilian midfielder challenged Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo for an aerial ball inside the centre circle before landing awkwardly on his left foot, forcing his leg into an unnatural position.
Referee Michael Oliver immediately detected the severity of the injury and play was stopped while medical staff entered the field.
While Danilo was being treated in the field, response team members created a protective barrier around him.
With that removed, fans and players were relieved to see Danilo giving a thumbs up to the medics, shortly before leaving the City Ground on a stretcher.
Nottingham Forest’s Danilo suffered a horrific injury in Saturday’s game against Bournemouth
His teammate Murillo is pictured (centre) covering his mouth as he looks away after getting a close-up look at Danilo’s left leg.
The injury occurred when Danilo landed awkwardly after a collision with Antoine Semenyo.
After Danilo left the pitch to be replaced by Adam Yates, Forest’s official X account (formerly Twitter) posted a message of support.
The text read: ‘Yatesy replaces Danilo, who is taken off on a stretcher. We are all with you, Danilo.’
Danilo, who joined Forest from Palmeiras for around £16million in January 2023, was making his 43rd Premier League appearance on Saturday.
The 23-year-old scored three goals in 34 appearances in all competitions for the East Midlands side last season.
But he is unlikely to feature in as many games during the 2024-25 campaign as his injury will keep him out of action for a long time.
Bournemouth duo Dango Ouattara (left) and Alex Scott also looked affected by Danilo’s injury.
A protective screen was temporarily installed around Danilo while he received treatment in the field.
Danilo eventually left the pitch on a stretcher after giving a thumbs-up gesture to the medics.
