Putting your body on the line is something Wolverhampton Wanderer goalkeeper Rui Patricio is all too used to, especially if it means securing another win. To suffer a blow to the head from your own teammate, lay motionless for minutes, and watch your team end up losing 1-0 to Liverpool, seems like cruel fate. Luckily, Patricio was conscious soon after and lost no memory of what happened, according to his manager Nuno Espirito Santos in a post-match interview.
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Down for the count
In the 86th minute, Mohamed Salah of Liverpool raced towards goal. Trying to keep his side level, Wolves captain Conor Coady accidentally slammed into Patricio.
The Egyptian striker put the ball in the net, but the goal was eventually ruled out for being offside. The medical staff then took more than 10 minutes to treat the Portuguese goalkeeper and carry him off the pitch on a stretcher.
After the match, Santos said Patricio was 'chatty and relaxed.' The club will continue following the league’s concussion protocols, and signs thus far look promising for a full recovery. Santos said:
We've spoken to the doctor and he told me he's going to be OK. I think he was immediately assisted well by the doctors.
Could this have been prevented?
Commentators of the match last night have said that the injury was preventable had the linesman raised his flag for what looked like a clear offside call on Salah.
But because of the usage of video review on key decisions during the match, referees are told to wait until the completion of a play to make a ruling. Santos commented on the ruling:
It's one of the situations that all of us are questioning. But the law is clear. The referees keep the flag down, they play to the whistle, the players must go till the end and situations can happen.
