Nottingham Forest full-back Daniel Munoz is set to wear a protective face mask for the Premier League fixture against Arsenal on Sunday, following corrective nasal surgery he underwent during the summer off-season.
Why Munoz wears the mask
The Colombian defender had the surgery after his World Cup duties to repair structural damage and improve his respiratory intake. Medical staff mandated the custom protective mask to safeguard his recovering nose from physical contact while allowing him to return to training safely.
Munoz first wore the protective facial gear while playing for Crystal Palace against Everton on August 22, where he featured for 55 minutes. That outing marked his initial return to competitive match action while still adjusting to playing with the headgear.
Manager explains recovery and transfer impact
Oliver Glasner addressed the situation during a press conference, explaining that the post-surgery recovery period severely restricted the defender's early preparation time. Glasner noted that the mask allowed Munoz to build up his match fitness safely without risking further damage to his facial structure.
While the nasal procedure disrupted his fitness build-up, active transfer negotiations between Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest played the main role in limiting his game time late in August. Glasner confirmed that Munoz was left out of Crystal Palace's clash against Manchester City specifically because those transfer talks had reached an advanced stage.
"He played in a mask at Everton because he had surgery on his nose for his breathing," Glasner said. "That's why he's not had many minutes in pre-season and 55 minutes against Everton. He didn't play against Manchester City because the negotiations were quite far along. That's why I say he needs to get back to his top fitness level."
Standard precaution across fixtures
Wearing the custom headgear is a standard medical precaution to maintain structural stability rather than a strategy tailored for any single opponent. Munoz will continue to wear the face mask consistently across all fixtures as he works toward peak match sharpness.
