Mikel Arteta says he is “comfortable” with Arsenal’s decision to allow David Luiz to play for Wolves, but believes the time has come to allow temporary substitutions so that players can be evaluated longer for concussions. football.
Gunners defender Luiz sustained a head injury when he collided with Wolves striker Raúl Jiménez at the start of Sunday’s game, resulting in a long delay of around 10 minutes when paramedics and medics brought in treated both. players.
Jiménez was removed on a stretcher and then underwent surgery on a fractured skull, while Luiz was allowed to continue with his head bandaged after receiving seven stitches on a three-inch wound.
However, Luiz was taken out at halftime with the club claiming the replacement was due to bleeding and discomfort from the cut and, although Arteta is happy the decision to allow him to continue playing was the good one, he feels a conversation should take place. . on the authorization of temporary substitutions for head trauma.
Arteta believes incidents like the one involving Luiz and Jiménez are still likely to occur in football
“We have one of the highest authorities in the country in Gary O’Driscoll, our doctor, and I feel comfortable with the decision he made (to allow Luiz to continue),” he said. -he declares.
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“You have to make a decision in a minute and someone’s life is in danger that minute. Maybe we can give these people a little more time and use a temporary substitution, for example.
“If you have any questions and need two or five more minutes, maybe we can think about it. The player still wants to keep playing but the doctor has to check everything to make sure he can play but you can’t play. for 10 or 15 minutes with 10 men in soccer.
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Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher told Ref Watch introducing concussion substitutes into football would be ‘reasonable’
“We had conversations about it because it happens in other sports, but not in football. It’s just a suggestion, but we have to consider the welfare of the players and keep the game competitive. It is an option ”.
Arteta believes the issue should be discussed by football authorities as there is no guarantee, given the intensity of the sport, that incidents like Sunday’s will not happen again.
“There are certain things in sport that are inevitable,” he said. “This crash, I hope it doesn’t happen again, but it’s impossible to avoid when 22 players are running in all directions competing for a ball.
“This has happened in the past and no one can guarantee that it will not happen again. You saw how quickly the players had to protect Raúl and we wish him the best in his recovery.
The American Football Association has expressed a willingness to test FA Cup concussion substitutes, if matchmakers allow it, but calls for more immediate and widespread changes are mounting.
Mourinho: We must trust the doctors
Tottenham coach José Mourinho believes temporary substitutions for concussion injuries would make it easier for coaches to make decisions and stressed the importance of having a doctor on the bench who can be trusted.
“I agree [of temporary substitutions]”Said Mourinho.” First of all, the power of the doctor who is on the pitch, as a coach, you have to have on your bench a doctor who you fully trust, and then everything becomes easier, because then the doctor’s word is word. Your decision is the decision. It makes everything easier.
“Of course, a concussion substitution would probably make it easier for the coaches to make decisions, but honestly, for me, the crux is to have a doctor that I have full confidence in.”
Petr Cech played with a protective cap for the rest of his career following a head injury while playing for Chelsea at Reading in 2006.
Mourinho was Chelsea manager when Petr Cech suffered a fatal head injury in Reading in October 2006, and he is happy to have been the catalyst for a “great improvement” in the well-being of the players.
He said: “ I think Cech’s situation was the key to the changes, and immediately some issues in some Premier League stadiums were quite evident. ”
“I think this situation with Petr was essential to change a lot of things. That was a long time ago but of course I remember a lot of things that happened to try to provide the best conditions for the doctors, the ambulances, the security in the stadium, all these situations. There was a great improvement at that time.
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Ryan Mason, who had to retire with a head injury in 2017, says football’s current concussion protocols are insufficient and require urgent review.
Are concussion protocols appropriate for their purpose?
The Headway charity issued a statement on Monday expressing “anger and disappointment at football’s continued failure to protect its players from concussions” and reiterated its view that temporary replacements are “urgently” required. of concussion.
Headway wondered if Luiz would have been allowed to continue if there had been concussion substitutes.
Headway Deputy Managing Director Luke Griggs said Sky Sports News: “When you have an impact as severe as this, it’s hard not to suspect that a concussion has occurred.
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Luke Griggs, deputy executive director of the Brain Injury Association’s Headway charity, says football needs to ‘evolve with the times’ and introduce temporary concussion substitutes
“The protocols say that if a concussion is suspected the player should be removed from the playing field.
“I’m sure the medical teams have done it in the best interests of the player, but you really have to ask yourself if these concussion protocols are right.
“Concussion is notoriously difficult to diagnose, especially in a pressured field environment, in just three minutes. This is a progressive injury and symptoms may take a long time to appear.
“We asked that football finally adapt to the times and introduce temporary substitutes for concussions that would allow for more detailed assessments of a player, off the pitch.
“We have to make sure the message gets out that we are not taking any chances on these things.”