Fernando Torres left the hospital yesterday after getting the all clear for any head or neck trauma. He downplayed the incident and said he is looking forward to returning to action.
The football world stopped on Thursday when Fernando Torres collided head-to-head with Deportivo’s Alex Bergantinos. Torres fell to the ground unconscious, and physio staffs took him straight to a waiting ambulance and then to hospital. Both sides played the remaining few minutes in a subdued haze, with many fearing the worst after what they had just witnessed.
Within hours, though, Torres was tweeting and talking. Atletico Madrid reported that the CT scan showed no head or neck trauma, and that Torres would remain in hospital overnight for precautionary observation.
Fernando Torres returned home yesterday, with instructions to rest for at least 48 hours. Torres allayed concerns when he spoke the media after his discharge.
"It all turned out to be a big scare, and I am counting the days and hours before I can be back with my teammates. In a couple of days I will be able to train again and be back ready. – Independent"
None of the reports indicate that Torres has a concussion as a result of the collision. Much like Gary Cahill after his collision with Ryan Mason, it almost defies belief that there was no such diagnosis. The collision left Mason with a fractured skull, yet Cahill was somehow clear to play the remainder of the game.
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That, in turn, calls into question the respective leagues’ commitment to implementing new head trauma protocols. In both cases, on-field personnel reacted appropriately. The referees stopped play and immediately called the physios onto the pitch.
After that, though, the new protocols seem weak, if not pointless. A sideline diagnosis sufficed to keep Gary Cahill in the game. The absence of any physical trauma could have Torres cleared to return to training next week.
The concussion protocols leave clubs with a lot of discretion, perhaps too much. If the stated goal is to reduce the long-term consequences of head trauma, checking the boxes for the protocol to get an “all clear” should be a necessary but not sufficient condition for return to play. Clubs can blanket themselves with the league protocols, while ignoring caution and prudence.
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Ryan Mason has not played since his collision with Cahill on 22 January. Cahill, on the other hand, has not missed any playing time. Fernando Torres will miss Atletico’s match on Sunday against Valencia. He could potentially return to training with the squad during the middle of next week and play next Saturday at Granada.