Emiliano Martinez was taken to hospital for “precautionary tests” after suffering a suspected concussion during Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday — an incident that overshadowed the Blues’ first Premier League clean sheet in nine months.
Emiliano Martinez (Credits: BBC Sport)
The Argentina goalkeeper collided with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite in the 68th minute at Hill Dickinson Stadium while attempting to claim a cross from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s free-kick. An eight-minute stoppage followed before Martinez was replaced by Mike Penders, who made his Premier League debut for Chelsea and saw out the remainder of the match.
Boss Xabi Alonso confirmed after the game: “It was a concussion, but beyond that I do not know. I have only seen one clip of the incident, so we need to wait. What we know is that he left the stadium conscious and is now in hospital undergoing precautionary tests.”
Big Matches Coming Up
Alonso admitted there are now doubts over Martinez’s availability for Chelsea’s next three fixtures — a brutal run that sees them face Tottenham and Manchester United in the Premier League, with a Carabao Cup tie at Liverpool in between. “Hopefully it will not be too serious, but at the moment we just have to wait,” he said.
Martinez, who joined Chelsea from Aston Villa for £7.5m, had played a key part in ending a 23-match run without a league clean sheet — the club’s first since a 2-0 win over Brentford in January. Two goals from Pedro Neto secured the victory, easing some of the “soft” label Chelsea have carried away from home after losing 19 of their previous 41 matches north of Luton over the past four years.
A Welcome Win, A Worrying Exit
The clean sheet will please Alonso, who said he was “not obsessed” with defensive records but had demanded improvement after his side conceded a league-high 13 goals before kick-off. Everton managed just six shots all afternoon. However, all the good feeling was tempered by the sight of the new goalkeeper leaving the stadium in an ambulance, and Chelsea fans will be anxiously awaiting news on his condition.
Also Read: Pedro Neto Brace Seals Chelsea Away Win at Everton as Blues Keep First Clean Sheet
Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
