Nuno Espirito Santo says it is ‘obvious’ that concussion substitutes should be introduced in the Premier League following the injury to Wolves star Raul Jimenez.
Jimenez suffered a fractured skull after a clash of heads with David Luiz, five minutes into Wolves’ 2-1 win over Arsenal last Sunday.
The forward required 10 minutes of treatment on the pitch before being stretchered off and taken straight to hospital. Luiz, however, was bandaged up and sent back on for the rest of the half, with Mikel Arteta later saying the Brazilian had been “uncomfortable” after the collision.
Arteta’s decision not to take Luiz off straight away was criticised by many but it once again raised the debate over concussion subs – where a player could be taken off without it counting as one of the team’s three changes as a safeguarding measure. The idea has already been introduced in some other sports such as cricket.
"There should be concussion substitutes," Nuno told a press conference. "It is obvious everyone in the game supports this and I am positive this is going to happen."
Jimenez released a statement saying he was hoping to be back in action soon, but at this stage it is unclear just how long he could be out.
The impact on Wolves’ prospects is clear. Since joining from Benfica in 2018, Jimenez has proven one of the most consistent and complete forwards in the Premier League, scoring 48 goals and registering 18 assists in 110 games for the club.
Wolves fans have pooled their money to have a new banner of the Mexico international to be displayed at Molineux.
"I am not surprised about the reaction," said Nuno. "Raul means a lot to this city.
"All the things you can say about Raul is not enough because he is an amazing person.
"Everything goes through your mind when you see someone you love and appreciate in a tough situation. He means so much to us. It is like when someone in the family gets ill.
"It was serious. We were afraid at first but now we are moving to a more normal situation. Our thoughts and prayers are with him."
"There should be concussion substitutes," said Nuno. "It is obvious everyone in the game supports this and I am positive this is going to happen."