As concussion processes begin, Neil Etheridge’s Birmingham City comeback date is determined.
During Birmingham City’s 2-0 loss to Nottingham Forest, the custodian suffered an injury and had to be rushed to the hospital.
Due to the FA’s concussion procedures, Neil Etheridge won’t likely play in Birmingham City’s home match against Coventry City on Good Friday.
60 minutes into the Blues’ 2-0 loss at the City Ground, the custodian collided with Djed Spence and had to be taken out on a stretcher. The impact knocked Etheridge unconscious, and as the game went on, he was rushed to the Queen’s Medical Centre hospital in Nottingham for a computerised tomography (CT) scan.
The right side of the face, which received the whole force of the collision, reportedly swelled significantly but there were no injuries to the skull’s bones, according to Blues. Etheridge was given the all-clear to go home later in the evening, but he must now go through the FA’s six-stage concussion protocol timeline in order to rejoin the team. As a result, he is unlikely to be able to play against the Sky Blues on Friday afternoon.
The recommendations emphasise that the timelines specified are the absolute minimum needs and that care must be given at each stage, although in the best-case scenario, Etheridge’s rehabilitation plan would
Stage 1: Sunday, requiring a minimum of 24 hours of rest before the participant can advance if they are symptom-free. The second stage is then advised after receiving a doctor’s okay.
Stage 2: Light exercise starting as soon as Monday. Walking, mild running, swimming, stationary cycling, or a similar exercise are included.
Stage 3: Football-specific exercise, comprising easy running drills with minimal body and head movement, is scheduled for Tuesday at the earliest. At this point, heading the ball is not permitted.
Stage 4: At the earliest on Wednesday, non-contact training that includes “passing, changing directions, shooting, and small-sided games” as well as resistance conditioning, but no heading. To proceed to the following round, Etheridge would once more require a doctor’s approval.
Stage 5: Practise with full contact on Thursday at the earliest. This is standard training, and at this point, it might involve heading and tackling.
Stage 6: The player may return to full-match action as soon as Friday.
If Etheridge completes the return to action plan without any problems, he might be eligible to play against the Sky Blues on Friday. On the other hand, if any symptoms arise, the player must rest for a minimum of 24 hours without experiencing any symptoms before they can try to resume training one stage back from their previous attempt.
Connal Trueman was the player called upon to replace Etheridge when he was carried off, and the backup shot-stopper will likely be called upon once more if Blues’ No. 1 is forced to miss Coventry City’s visit.
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