West Ham teenager George Earthy stretchered off with oxygen mask and neck brace after horror injury on Premier League debut leaves him facing hospital assessment

The 19-year-old replaced Michail Antonio in the 82nd minute of the Hammers’ 2-0 defeat to Fulham, but had to be taken off himself following a collision with team-mate Edson Alvarez. The game was stopped for eight minutes as the youngster received treatment.

Earthy was carried from the pitch on a stretcher, with an oxygen mask and neck brace in place, but was conscious when leaving the London Stadium and will undergo a series of medical checks in a bid to ensure that no lasting damage has been suffered.

West Ham boss David Moyes said when delivering an update on Earthy: “George has suffered a head injury. He’s awake and has been taken to hospital for further assessment. I’m really disappointed for George. He’s been doing really well in training and has performed great for the under-21s. He’s been getting much closer to the first team. He started well when he came on and had some nice touches. He’s awake and has gone to hospital so we’ll get the checks done. We all thought that (he was knocked out cold) just being on the touchline. George is a terrific footballer and a great little technician. If we had the right moments, we probably would’ve tried to get him on sooner. He never let himself down in the time he was on the field.”

Earthy, who is a product of West Ham’s famed academy system and helped the London-based outfit to an U18 FA Youth Cup triumph in 2022-23, made his senior bow for the Hammers in a Europa League last-16 meeting with Freiburg in March.