Speaking exclusively to This is Futbol, former referee Mark Halsey claimed that he was surprised David Luiz continued in Arsenal’s fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers following the defender’s clash of heads with Raul Jimenez.
In the opening stages of Arsenal’s 2-1 loss to Wolves on Sunday, Luiz and Jimenez both jumped for a header from an Arsenal corner which resulted in the two players clashing heads, leaving Luiz bleeding and Jimenez requiring oxygen while being treated on the pitch before being taken to hospital.
However, despite the severity of the clash, Luiz continued playing in the fixture until he was substituted at half time, something which Halsey claimed he was surprised by.
“That’s nothing to do with the referee, to be fair to Michael Oliver, he noticed how bad the situation was, how serious it was, and he called the physios on straight away,” Halsey told This is Futbol.
“That’s down to the doctors that are there, the physios that are there, to make that decision [to deem Luiz unfit to continue].
“I think the only thing you could be critical of Michael Oliver [for] is perhaps he should have had him removed when all the blood started pouring down his face again, when it was coming through the bandage.
“I mean, that’s just a little thing but as for [whether or not Luiz should have been taken off immediately, the] referee’s got no say in that whatsoever. It’s down to the doctors and physios and the first aid that were there.
“But, I have to say, I was surprised that he carried on.”
Do you think Luiz should have been allowed to carry on after his clash with Jimenez?
Yes
No
Considering the force of the clash between Luiz and Jimenez, the Mexican was required to have surgery on a fractured skull, there has been some discussion as to why exactly the Arsenal defender was allowed to carry on in the fixture, with Alan Shearer stating on Match of the Day 2 that football needed to “wake up” regarding its concussion protocols.
Considering there has been much discussed recently regarding heading-in-football and links to dementia following Sir Bobby Charlton being diagnosed with the disease, we have to say, in our opinion, Luiz should have not been allowed to play on in the fixture, regardless of whether or not he felt he was fit to do so.
If a clash of heads is serious enough to hospitalise one of the players involved, as it was for Jimenez, it is difficult to imagine that Arsenal’s club doctors were not aware that there would be some ramifications to the other player in the incident, even if they were less obvious at the time.