The Brazilian midfielder, Danilo, appeared to suffer a broken leg after landing awkwardly from an aerial duel with Antoine Semenyo during Nottingham Forest’s match against Bournemouth at the City Ground.
As Danilo was clearly in severe pain, medical staff from both teams rushed onto the pitch, and play was halted for approximately five minutes.
Due to the gruesome nature of the injury, Forest flags were used to shield Danilo from public view as players and fans watched on with concern.
The defender was then stretchered off the field, receiving a standing ovation from the City Ground crowd.
Reporting from the ground for talkSPORT, former Premier League striker Dean Ashton commented: “It’s such a horrible thing to see for anybody: the supporters, his teammates, the opposition. It looks like a nasty leg break for Danilo.
You think of all the hope, the joy, the expectation of a new season… then something like this happens so soon into the new season.
We can only wish him the absolute best. They did the right thing. They covered around him. He would’ve been in shock. It was obvious from the reaction of the players that it was a nasty injury.”
Danilo joined Nottingham Forest in January 2023 from Palmeiras for a fee of £16 million. Since his arrival, he has made 50 appearances and scored four goals.
Despite now being a Premier League star, Danilo revealed to talkSPORT.com last year that he had considered giving up football at 15 after being released by Bahia, a club that is part of the City Football Group.
Despite the concerning scenes on the pitch at the City Ground, Nottingham Forest managed to regain their focus and soon took the lead.
Chris Wood scored the goal, reacting swiftly to a loose ball in the box and slotting it home to put the hosts 1-0 up against Bournemouth.
However, the lead was short-lived, as Dango Ouattara equalized for the Cherries just nine minutes later.
