MADRID, 21 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Chelsea captain, Spain international César Azpilicueta, has left the hospital where he has been admitted after suffering a concussion in his team’s defeat to Southampton on Saturday in the Premier League.
The 33-year-old Navarrese winger had to leave the Stamford Bridge field on a stretcher after receiving an involuntary kick to the head from rival striker Sekou Mara. He was given oxygen before being transferred to St Mary’s and Cleveland Hospital.
The ‘Blues’ coach, Graham Potter, declared an hour after the game that the Spanish defender, who briefly lost consciousness on the pitch, was awake and had spoken to his wife.
This Tuesday, the club confirmed that Azpilicueta had attended the team’s training session in Cobham to continue his recovery. “Following the concussion suffered during Saturday’s game against Southampton, César Azpilicueta has been released from hospital and is recovering well in Cobham,” the English club said.
“The club’s medical team is closely monitoring César’s condition, following the important concussion protocols in place to ensure his safety. César observed training today, before starting work to return to the pitch,” he continued. .
On Sunday afternoon, 24 hours after the incident, the defender posted a photo of himself sitting in hospital with a message of thanks to the staff and doctors at Chelsea and Southampton.
“From the Chelsea medical team, to teammates and rivals, to St Mary’s and Cleveland Hospital and to all staff and doctors: a huge thank you from the bottom of my heart. I need time to recover now and we’ll see you soon on the field of play,” he said then.
In January, the Premier League wrote to the International Football Association Board, the international body responsible for establishing the rules of the game, asking it to try temporary concussion substitutions from the start of next season.
Teams are currently allowed to make one additional substitution if a player sustains a concussion, but it is believed that reversible changes would reduce the pressure on medical staff to make quick decisions about the extent of a player’s injury. player.
