THE PFA have called for ‘temporary concussion substitutes’ after Leeds star Robin Koch was ‘put at risk’ in the 4-2 loss to Manchester United.
Koch was left in a bloody mess after nastily clashing heads with Scott McTominay in the 13th minute.
The Leeds medics raced on to treat him and Koch was initially able to carry on after having his head bandaged up.
Then on the half hour mark Koch went down again and this time he was forced off as he felt the after effects of the collision.
The PFA say that the decision to let Koch play on put the player at risk and they have called for ‘temporary concussion substitutes’ to give medical staff additional time to thoroughly check players.
They tweeted: “The injury to Leeds United’s Robin Koch demonstrates again that the current concussion protocols within football are failing to prioritise player safety.
“The ‘if in doubt, sit them out’ protocol is not being applied consistently within the pressurised environment of elite competitive football.
“We see frequent incidents of players returning to play with a potential brain injury, only to be removed shortly afterwards once symptoms visibly worsen.
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“As the representative voice of players in England, we have been clear to @TheIFAB that we want to see the introduction of temporary concussion substitutes.
“Temporary concussion substitutes will allow medical teams additional time and an appropriate environment to make an initial assessment.
“Introducing temporary substitutes would allow a match to restart with neither side numerically disadvantaged, reducing pressure on players and medical teams to make quick decisions on whether an injured player continues.
“Put simply, the current rules set by @TheIFAB are not working, and players are being put at risk.”
However, Leeds insist they DID follow concussion protocols.
A statement released by the club read: “Leeds United can confirm that following a clash of heads, Robin Koch passed all of the on-field concussion screening tests that are currently part of the Premier League protocols.
“The player was told if he developed any symptoms he should sit down on the field of play and would be substituted immediately, which is what Robin did in the 29th minute of the game.
“The medical staff at Leeds United have always been in favour of temporary substitutions for head injuries, as it would allow the staff more time to assess an injury and allow a period for symptoms to potentially develop.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk