LONDON, October 6- Chelsea announced on Monday that their goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has been given the all-clear after he sustained a head injury during his side’s 2-0 win over Arsenal.
The Belgium international had to go off in the first half of Sunday’s Premier League game after a collision with Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez and was taken to hospital for tests.
“Chelsea Football Club can confirm Thibaut Courtois went to hospital during our Premier League game against Arsenal yesterday for precautionary tests on a head injury. Those tests came back all-clear,” Chelsea said in a statement published on their website.
“Thibaut was treated for a minor cut to his ear and was released from hospital last night. He is expected to report for international duty later this week.”
Courtois wrote on Twitter: “Thanks for all the messages! I’m already feeling better. Now I’m resting to be recovered and back on the pitch soon. Great victory yesterday.”
Sanchez caught Courtois’s head with his hip as he chased a pass from Jack Wilshere into the Chelsea box in the 10th minute of the match at Stamford Bridge.
Courtois continued playing after receiving treatment, but he was eventually obliged to give way to Petr Cech in the 24th minute, with television pictures showing blood running from his right ear.
The Football Association introduced new rules in August obliging clubs to substitute any player suspected of having lost consciousness during a Premier League game.
“If there has been a confirmed or suspected period of loss of consciousness, the player must be removed from the field of play, and not be allowed to return,” the new guidelines state.
But Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said that he felt his medical staff had made the “correct” decision when they initially allowed Courtois to remain on the pitch.
“We have Dr (Paco) Biosca, which is the head of the medical department, and he has his people,” Mourinho told his post-match press conference.
“I always tell them that when I’m on the bench, I don’t want to communicate with them. I don’t want them to tell me, ‘The player has this, the player has that.’ I just want them to give me a decision.
“And they gave me the decision and for me, that’s correct — the club doctor or the club medical department to take control and take responsiblity.”
Courtois, 22, has supplanted Cech as Chelsea’s first-choice goalkeeper this season after spending the last three years on loan at Atletico Madrid.
