Inside Elland Road Best rated player so far.mp4
Leeds United were forced into an early substitution against Aston Villa.
Leeds United were handed a fresh blow in the early stages of Sunday’s meeting with Aston Villa as Anton Stach was forced off due to a head injury.
Stach appeared to pick up the injury while playing a vital role in Leeds’ early opening goal. The towering German rose above Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez to head goalwards, with Ezri Konsa’s clearance hitting Lukas Nmecha and going in.
Sean Longstaff’s brilliant free-kick went right to the back post and was hooked back into danger by Gabriel Gudmundsson. Stach rose above Martinez but fell awkwardly on his way down, while the Villa goalkeeper was also in pain.
There was a lengthy VAR check to see if Stach had fouled Martinez with both players down injured at the time. Leeds’ German international came back on the pitch for a few minutes before going back down, appearing to still be suffering from the blow.
After another on-pitch assessment during which Stach gestured towards his head, the former Hoffenheim man was replaced by Ao Tanaka in the 23rd minute. Commentary on Sky Sports confirmed Leeds had used a concussion substitution to make that change.
Stach is now expected to undergo further assessment which should provide clarity on whether a concussion has been suffered. Should that be the case, the Premier League has strict rules and guidelines regarding a return to play.
The midfielder would have to undergo a six-stage return to play process which could keep him out of training for a period of time. Of course, it’s not been confirmed if a concussion is present. Daniel Farke will be expected to provide an update in his post-game press conference and again next week ahead of a trip to Manchester City.
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