Arsenal star Beth Mead suffered a head harm within the Gunners’ 1-0 Champions League qualifying win over Ajax that resulted in her crew ending the sport with solely 10 gamers after the match officers denied them the chance to carry on a concussion sub.
Mead didn’t begin the sport in Amsterdam, which was finally determined by a single Vivianne Miedema objective, however got here off the bench solely to then depart the sphere with stoppage time remaining.
The Ballon d’Or nominee took a blow to the again of the top from Ajax defender Lisa Doorn. Arsenal appropriately have been ready to take no probabilities along with her well being and security and started to arrange Lina Hurtig as a substitute, regardless of having used all of their allotted substitutions.
However the match officers put a cease to it, with concussion substitutes not but really adopted by UEFA regardless of launching a concussion constitution in 2021 and trialling using further replacements within the remaining stage of final 12 months’s Below-21 European Championship. An IFAB trial that was seen within the WSL and Ladies’s Championship resulted in July of this 12 months.
Below UEFA’s concussion protocol, the choice was made by Arsenal’s crew physician that Mead wouldn’t proceed regardless of it doubtlessly coming at a sporting drawback.
Gunners boss Jonas Eidevall confirmed after the match that he had requested the fourth official whether or not a concussion substitute can be allowed and initially appeared to get indication that it was. Provided that he thought Hurtig might exchange Mead, Eidevall had no motive to arrange his crew for being diminished to 10 gamers through the break in play whereas the concussion evaluation was occurring.
“I believe that’s misinformation from the referee,” he stated. “I actually don’t understand how and why that may be, as a result of for me it’s simply such a easy query to reply sure or no.
Discussing the implications of concussion, Eidevall added, “In Sweden, the place I come from, in ice hockey it’s very large. In the event you sort out in the direction of the top, they’ve realised how harmful that’s, they’re so harsh on penalising violence in the direction of the top. As a result of that’s not solely ache, it might have influence for the remainder of your life, so meaning the choices should be superb to not staying on.”
Eidevall questioned whether or not Doorn ought to have been despatched off for the problem on Mead, describing it as ‘careless’ quite than malicious, and added he wasn’t stunned to be leaving Amsterdam with two accidents, having additionally seen Rafaelle Souza endure an ankle downside.
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