Key Highlights :
The recent incident involving Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has raised serious questions about the management of in-game impacts in football and the importance of concussion protocols. Maguire fell to the floor with less than a minute played at Fulham on Saturday after clashing heads with Rodrigo Muniz and appeared to have sustained a cut just above his eye. He continued after treatment, but referee John Brooks questioned Maguire’s condition after 58 minutes and United physios again analysed the defender. Maguire finished the game United as won 1-0, and he later told MUTV he had passed concussion protocols, saying: “The doctor did all the tests, I knew where I was and I was answering all the questions and I completed them (protocols) thankfully.”
Brain injury charity Headway have expressed deep concern about the incident and the decision to allow Maguire to continue playing. Luke Griggs, the chief executive of Headway, said: “The incident with Harry Maguire is concerning for a number of reasons. An opponent’s shoulder strikes the side of his head; minutes later he goes down on his haunches, showing clear signs of discomfort. After a brief on-pitch assessment – again highlighting the nonsensical lack of temporary concussion substitutes in football – he was allowed to continue. The sight of the referee then having to intervene in the second half when the player continued to look in difficulty was deeply concerning. But again, after another brief assessment with medics, he was again allowed to play on.”
Griggs went on to point out that attitudes to concussion have changed over the past decade, but that football’s failure to manage in-game head injuries is putting progress made at risk. He said: “We have come such a long way since Hugo Lloris was labelled a ‘hero’ for over-ruling club medics to return to the pitch after a clear concussion while playing for Spurs against Everton in 2013. That shocking incident was a wake-up call for football. We called it ‘dangerous and irresponsible’ at the time, demanding it be used as a catalyst for change. That change has been a slow process, but attitudes have changed. Promises were made, such as the concept of players being immediately removed from play if there is any suspicion of concussion. An ‘if in doubt, sit it out’ approach was enshrined in a series of concussion protocols, eventually adopted by various footballing bodies. But this progress is eroded with every high-profile incident in which the safety first principle is set aside and players being allowed to continue despite showing signs that a concussion could have occurred.”
The Harry Maguire incident highlights the importance of adhering to concussion protocols and the need for football to take head injuries more seriously. It is essential that players are properly assessed and removed from play if there is any suspicion of a concussion, and that footballing authorities take steps to ensure that the safety of players is always put first.