Hector Bellerin could miss Hull’s visit to the Emirates on Saturday after suffering a concussion during the 3-1 defeat to Chelsea.
The right-back took a heavy blow to the head as Marcus Alonso used a wayward elbow to gain leverage to head the Blues in front in the first half.
After landing heavily, Bellerin was left dazed and confused – thankfully, not unconscious – and received prolonged treatment from the medical team before being substituted.
Wenger said of the incident afterwards: “It was 100 per cent a foul. It was even dangerous play. Bellerin was concussed. Not completely knocked out. He didn’t know the score at the time. He didn’t see the goal.”
The FA and Premier League have clear ‘return to play’ guidelines for players who are suspected to have suffered a concussion; in essence making clear that no return to action should be made for at least six days (in an enhanced care setting) and only once a six-stage protocol has been fulfilled.
It is understood that Bellerin is not training at the moment but could, depending on his situation, return to London Colney on Friday.
“The graduated return to play (GRTP) protocol should be followed in all cases. This staged programme commences at midnight on the day of injury and stage 1 (initial rest period) is 14 days in all players unless they are in an enhanced care setting. In all cases, progression to stage 2 of the GRTP can only occur if the player has no symptoms.
It continues: “Under the GRTP Protocol, the individual can advance to the next stage only if there are no symptoms of concussion at rest and at the level of physical activity achieved in the current GRTP stage. If any symptoms occur while going through the GRTP program, the individual must return to the previous stage and attempt to progress again after a minimum 24-hour period of rest without symptoms (this is 48 hours in players under 19 years of age).”
Given all of the above, it seems unlikely that Arsenal’s medical staff will take a risk on throwing the Spaniard back into the fray. Gabriel is likely to deputise, with Mathieu Debuchy, Carl Jenkinson and Ainsley Maitland-Niles other options to play in the full-back position.
If you have any doubts about the seriousness of concussion injuries, here’s Luke Griggs from Headway Brain Injury Association, speaking to Sky Sports last year.
“Concussion is a temporary disturbance of the brain’s functioning,” he said.
“If you continue to play after you’ve had a concussion and you suffer a secondary knock, that secondary knock can significantly exacerbate the damage to the brain and cause real problems.
“One of the issues we have with concussion is it tends to be an evolving injury, where the signs and symptoms may take some time to present themselves.
“You could be playing on without necessarily showing any of those signs, especially the more visible ones, such as loss of balance or vomiting or loss of consciousness. Only in around 10 per cent of concussions is there a loss of consciousness. Looking out for that one key indicator is not a sensible way to go.
“It’s very important to protect someone while their brain is recovering from that initial, minor traumatic brain injury, to sit it out, rest and recover before going back into the field of play.”
You can read more about The FA’s Concussion Guidelines (“If in doubt sit them out”) here.
Health comes first, especially when it comes to brain injuries.
Bellerin should be given as much time off as is deemed necessary by medical professionals.
Yup, even if the season was not over for us, he should get all the time is needed to fully recover. This is a brain, not a hamstring, so it needs time and rushing should be out of the question.
Agreed!
As a hardcore ice hockey fan let me tell you that you never want to rush somebody back from a concussion. Concussions get exponentially worse each time you get one especially if you suffer another while still recovering from the previous one.
Best wishes to Hector.
It is again that time of year when football just makes me sick. I dont even know what Im doing on an Arsenal blog. Seems to me like Arsenal is in a long relationship with a bf with premature ejaculation and so never reaches a orgasm. They dont break up because the girl herself isnt horny or cares more about the money the bf brings to her medicore life.
I think you just need to get laid buddy….
Have a wife “buddy”. I think all I want is a trophy for my club.
I hope your wife is with you for other reasons besides an occasional orgasm or your paycheck.
I hope to be a better parent to my newborn than your mom & dad have been to you. Its internet and you can speak and hide behind the safe monitor but still showing some respect always shows your own culture level.
Apologies. My comment wasn’t casting aspersions on you. It was just in response to your analogy, which seemed to suggest the only reason the hypothetical girl stays with her boyfriend is either:
a) to get regular orgasms; or
b) to live off his paycheck
Point being that I think women are slightly less one-dimensional than that.
Being a gooner really IS like being in a relationship. Not an abusive one like Manure or Sp*rs or the Orcs where the owner pisses all over you and tells you its raining but a real one where the one you love is amazing and wonderful but has the knack of fucking up big time often. There are times when being an Arsenal fan is a bigger high than most people have ever experienced. THEN there are the times when you are so far down that the light at the end of the tunnel turns out to be a train… Read more »
so why u on here then
What the fuck are you talking about
Am I right in thinking that if he were a rugby player he wouldn’t be allowed to play the next week? Seems sensible to me. It’s really good that this protocol is in place. Other players have come straight back in the past – it’s got to be dangerous.
If Bellerin is a doubt, I think Wenger should start with Debuchy on Saturday. No more Gabriel at RB please. It didn’t work for Maitland Niles and it’s not particularly working for Gabriel. Debuchy didn’t leave in January, and we all know he is not happy at Arsenal, but Wenger should play him if he’s fit, as he’s actually a RB rather than a CB.
So you’d play a player that has publicly said he’s not happy and wants to leave over say Carl Jenkinson who loves Arsenal and is also a RB.
He’s still collecting his wages from Arsenal, so if he’s fit and the club needs him, why not?
I really don’t think either Jenkinson or Debuchy could possibly play worse than Gabriel. They are both better at throw-ins for a start.
Don’t know which games you’ve seen, but the ones I’ve seen of Maitland-Niles at RB, he’s been outstanding.
Marcos Alonso is a vile cunt.
I hope another player does exactly the same to him!
Taking him out from behind like that is disgusting!
That’s ridiculous! Having him taken out is not going to change the result, give us back that first goal conceded, or bring back Bellerin.
I’d be more inclined to agree with that because he plays for Chelsea, not because of the incident itself
The fact that it was clearly dangerous play that would have resulted in a red card anywhere else on the pitch notwithstanding, I found it really odd that Alonso did not make any attempt to see if his fellow Spaniard was alright even when it became clear he wasn’t.
I was actually shocked at that too.Not so many people pointed out this as well. What was He thinking? I don’t care if he checked up on Hector later, the fact remains he didn’t show any interest in how the boy was the entire duration.
he had to “sell” the goal. If he goes to Hector after it makes him look guilty of the foul.
The dark arts are strong in that ChelSKI squad.
Yup, it’s incidents like these that make me feel bad about following this sport. When people cheat the idiotic commentators call it “being smart” and call the affected guy “naive”. When some horrid decisions are given they say “these things happen” not look to minimise such errors from referees, when a player steps on another or fouls him when no one is looking or pushes him after the ball is off play (like Debuchy & Alexis last season) the offender is not penalised retrospectively. I think football should have a disciplinary review for such things after the game and offenders… Read more »
How on Earth the media are claiming that wasn’t a foul is beyond me. Anything to maintain their narrative of Arsenal as soft Jessies I suppose
I reckon there’s a smell of Abramovich in there somewhere. As Bloggs says, it’s very wierd that not one single word from any pundit anywhere to hint that it might be a foul, and we could have closed the gap to 6 points. Strange things happen when we play Chelsea at their bridge, remember when Gibbs was sent off for the Ox? Was it a coincidence that Gibbs was our only fit first team defender at the time? Or the Gabriel red card while Costa was allowed to do what he liked. Yes, it was rescinded, but the result and… Read more »
Because it isn’t and wasn’t a foul!!
It was a fair challenge and if anything Bellerin takes a running jump into Alonso’s arm not vice versa. I don’t understand what people are going mad about, the injury to Bellerin wasn’t nice and we don’t want to see head injuries but it doesn’t make it a foul.
Had Giroud scored that goal no one here would be complaining
If you lead with your arm its a foul.
Its not about opinions
He didn’t lead with his arm, he jumped up and Bellerin jumped into his arm. Bellerin was in one of those rare occasions on a football pitch where the bounce and trajectory of the ball put him in an absolute disadvantage in challenging for it. As the ball came off the bar, it came in over his head from behind him, he kept his eye on the ball, whilst running without looking where he was going and failed to pay attention to the taller on coming opposition player, he then jumped into the onrushing player, he came off badly but… Read more »
I’ve heard people call it a 50/50 but it wasn’t it was a 99/1 in favour of Alonso, Bellerin put his body on the line to stop it, he didn’t and he came off worse. End of story
Alonso was running in to head the ball and jumped. You can’t jump without your arms going up and he was heading towards the goal. His body was always going to collide with bellerin, who was jumping from a standing position.
Agree john c.all this hysteria clouds what was a pathetic performance from arsenal.
We should be questioning why the likes of Ozil and Sanchez let matic walk between them and not either challenged. 250k a week they can both fuck off
Bellerin is also running towards the ball, he just happened to be about 6 inches shorter the Alonso.
its a challenge that has to be filed under the brave but stupid category
I agree. It wasn’t a foul. He got hurt, that sucks but it wasn’t a foul. We were shit and making a fuss about this makes us look softer than the soft we already are.
John C….you are wrong..just stop talking please.
From the FA webpages: “A direct free kick is awarded if a player commits any of the following offences against an opponent in a manner considered by the referee to be careless, reckless or using excessive force: charges/jumps at/kicks or attempts to kick/pushes/strikes or attempts to strike (including head-butt)/tackles or challenges/trips or attempts to trip/ If an offence involves contact it is penalised by a direct free kick or penalty kick. Careless is when a player shows a lack of attention or consideration when making a challenge or acts without precaution. No disciplinary sanction is needed. Reckless is when a… Read more »
Really, Bellerin “takes a running jump into Alonso’s arm” or “jumped into his arm”? Please go and watch the clip again. I’m not even sure why I’m dignifying this with a comment, because it is so utterly ludicrous, but let’s analyze your contention anyways: so Alonso’s arm was there first, is that the implication? Alonso did not mean to foul Bellerin and probably expected Hector to rise higher in his challenge for the ball, but that does not change the fact that Alonso’s forearm makes contact with Bellerin’s chin/head as he is rising to play the ball, and the force… Read more »
I’ve watched it several times from numerous angles, here’s a clip from youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkmBKTeeQF4
Watch from the 3rd second to the 5th second and tell me Hector has travelled about 8 yards at speed and then jumped into the on rushing Alonso. If you can see something other than that then i suggest you go to Specsaver!
There is a much better quality video on Arsenalist.com. http://arsenalist.com/f/2016-17/chelsea-vs-arsenal/bellerin-injury.html Both players are going for the ball, but to say that Hector jumps into Alonso’s arm is to presume the Alonso’s arm was there first, which it was not. The Flying Alonso (who covers a good 4-5 yards in the air) comes into the equation as much as Bellerin comes into the equation. Watch the clip above again, either one, and tell me Alonso’s forearm does not make contact with Hector’s jaw/head and knock him clearly out of the path of the ball. Again, both players are going for the… Read more »
I’d better go to specsaver then. That only reinforces my belief that Alonso led with the elbow clearly out and went through Bellerin to head the ball. I’ll never claim it was intentional, but it doesn’t have to be to be a foul.
Surprised that having watched it multiple times you haven’t noticed that both players leave the ground at the same time. Alonso’s momentum takes him higher than Bellerin, however where one player has his arms at a ‘natural’ height, the other, leads with his arms, elbow raised. It is said elbow that takes Hector out, along with the speed in which Alonso is travelling across his opponent. More of a leap goalwards than a defensive jump as you’d expect from a defender. Because of this, and leading with the arm raised it’s a foul and dangerous play. But, as you have… Read more »
Mpls you should, he doesn’t lead with the elbow, Hector jumps across his path, it’s quite clear. Alonso shouldn’t be punished for Bellerin’s reckless play.
Anthony, One player is 6 inches taller than the other that’s why Bellerin hit his elbow.
It’s not a foul because the ref didn’t see it as a foul, stop whinging it’s makes you look bad
Whose whinging? If you read my other comments you’ll note that I have expressed quite plainly that while I think the goal shouldn’t have stood given how poor we were for 2 and 3 we wouldn’t have won the game anyway.
Being taller has nothing to do with leading with your arm and elbow raised. Watch it again, slow it down and you’ll see the wood for the trees.
Have a nice evening.
He jumps with his arms, it’s perfectly allowed, i’m sorry if you can’t accept the rules
Johnny boy you don’t get it bruh. They both have every right to challenge the ball and Alonso is at an advantage because he is coming onto it at full speed as opposed to Bellerin who is more or less backtracking/sidestepping as the ball comes off the bar. But thing that in my eyes distinguishes this play is the fact that Alonso jumps with his arm fully extended out at about shoulder level. Yeah you have every right with your arms. But fully extended that high? Really? I mean its definitely something that’s up to the referee discretion and dependent… Read more »
Not you again. For some weird reason you think it wasn’t a foul, whilst the majority of the folk on this site see it differently. Please just accept that and move on.
I have noticed he is pedalling more or less the same comment in every article since the incident happened.
Fully expect he is a very bored troll who has nothing better to do than convince himself that it wasn’t a foul.
That or he’s the ref…
Much more dangerous than either of Xhaka’s red cards. You really have to ask questions…
How cute. FA having a policy for concussion post game. Well, where I am from prevention is better than cure. Heck, I bet any sane person thinks like this. Except FA referees. Break leg:bad. Chop head: goooood.
Don’t be obtuse. There are plenty of chances for players to get concussion without being fouled. In fact, I’d imagine most cases aren’t he result of fouls. Look how many times you see accidental clashes of heads or goalkeepers colliding with their own defenders.
Lets go ahead and protect Bellerin’s brain.
Really great idea to include more information about head injuries in the article. I wish more news outlets and TV broadcasters would do the same and highlight the seriousness of this issue. The way Bellerin’s injury was just dismissed this weekend really made me think. The games we watch via Sky or BT are hyperbolically over-dramatised to the point of absurdity, with villains and super heroes all fighting in this life and death match of pure awesomeness. As if a football match between two great teams wasn’t entertaining enough. I love watching and playing football as it is, I really… Read more »
Spot on sir
I wonder what the reaction would have been were (God forbid) Hector’s skull had been fractured, cheekbone cracked or similar; something more serious, in other words.
The sympathy and concern shown for Mason at Hull is one thing, the silence after HB’s concussion is deafening.
Did Alonso even go and check if he was OK afterwards? I didn’t see what happened.
Why do Arsenal always suffer from extreme physical play and noone ever complains about it? Off the top of my head and ignoring the fractures suffered by Eduardo and Ramsey, I can list, -Debuchy being pushed when in the air. No card or foul and it lead to a long time injury. -Jack Wilshere being taken out by McNair I believe, in a Arsenal v Man U game, no card or foul and took Wilshere out for a long time -Alexis Sanchez being pushed into a ditch at Norwich I think, he could have been seriosuly injured and yet, no… Read more »
Well said Northern Gooner! The referees this season have been really poor!
don’t forget the time Charlie Adam tried to rip Sanchez’s head off…
The DeBuchy one was the dirtiest of all, IMO.
Good post. You’ll probably get called a soft excuse-making nonce but fuck ’em.
The benefit of David Devin’s influence with the FA was perhaps not fully appreciated at the time, but it was a very significant loss. The trends we’ve seen the last ten years or so and described by NorthernGooner, are testimony to that and to an extent, may be evidence of some form of payback.
*whispers* Perhaps, if Debuchy and Jenkinson aren’t up to standard, and Gabriel is a centre back, we could have considered purchasing a right back at some point?
*ducks behind sofa*
Debuchy looked good in the 15 minutes he played around Xmas before Injury #637543. I think he’s got a shit pussy attitude and won’t be ready for 90 minutes but I’d start him, then replace him with Gabriel in the 75th minute as we frantically try to hold on to our 1-0 lead (wild shot by Alexis that deflected off Tom Hundredstone’s massive arse and in).
Debuchy attitude and ability looked spot on in his last game before he went off unjured. In my opinion we should give him a break. What he said or didn’t say in the past should be left in the past. He’s the m9st capable deputy for Hector that we have. Just my opinion..
Reading these comments is like watching two spastics try to catch an eel.
I think we should play with three at the back for the Hull game. Try something new. Hull will park the bus
Let the Corporal suit up!
Agree completely.
Gabriel has been… dodgy. So Carl can’t do much worse. Plus it gives him an opportunity to show why he rejected a move away!
Let’s give Hull a hiding!
Arsenal should use either debuchy or jenkinsen rather than Gabriel because they are right back and will provide more support in attack than gabriel
Debauchery’s turn at rite back plse
I mean if Debuchy isn’t doing anything, may as well use him.
Maitland Niles is too inexperienced still. Jenkinson is technically limited and frankly should be sold.
But Gabriel is no nonsense thus far. I don’t think he adds much going forward but at least we are secure down that flank.
Maybe we should be thinking of a 3-4-3 ourselves. But that would likely not involve Ozil and could be more confusing if we do not get it right quickly.
In that sense we are stuck to current system.
I believe Spurs play Liverpool so something again has to give.
Best result for us is for Liverpool to beat them but we have to do the business against Hull who just recently beat football genius Klopp (Yes the bloke who is suppose to be better than Wenger)
The problem is we are now chasing city too (the other bloke who is suppose to be better than Wenger) by one point.
We have to do our bid and beat Hull.
John C…Haha you sir, are hilarious! “Bellerin jumping straight for Alonso’s elbow” Haha. Fantastic!
Loving the debate, I think the referee’s view of it doesn’t help as he’s looking at it from behind…however, Alonso from alternate angles clearly makes contact with his elbow before he heads the ball. In doing so he inhibits Hector’s upward motion as his arms naturally are higher, killing all momentum, if you actually watch the video from the goal mouth you can see that Hector’s head is knocked away from the ball by about 6 inches before Alonso then ‘wins’ it. So in order to get the ball, he has to out jump Bellerin, which he does by knocking… Read more »