Barnsley coach Valerien Ismael joins call for football concussion substitutes

As a combative centre-back in his day, Ismael knows what it is like to suffer concussion on the field, and as a fan of the NFL he has seen how they deal with it.

He wishes something similar had been in place in the Premier League on Sunday, when a clash of heads between Arsenal's David Luiz and Wolverhampton Wanderers' Raul Jimenez saw the latter fracture his skull but the former allowed to play on with blood seeping through a bandage, only to be removed at half-time.

The Gunners' medical staff concluded Luiz was able to carry on, but a concussion substitute would have allowed more time for assessment without them having to play with a man down whilst that took place.

“I'm a fan of the NFL and I see a similar problem every week, people getting hit on the head,” said Ismael, an advocate of the recent short-term rule change allowing Football League teams to make two extra substitutions in a game. “Players are allowed to go off, be assessed, and return. I think it makes sense because you need to be sure to protect the player.

“Sunday's collision was a horrific moment for both guys and that's why we have to make sure everything is okay. I was surprised David Luiz played after the collision but we have to be careful in the future. It's good to have the possibility to have a concussion substitutes.

"Sunday's situation was very, very important and we have to think about the health of the player, this is the most important thing because every player gives 100 per cent for the cause and sometimes goes over the limit. Sometimes such accidents happen. It's our responsibility to protect the player.”

The then-Lens defender has first-hand experience having once suffered concussion in a clash with Czech Republic striker Jan Koller. On Monday Watford's Troy Deeney said players should be trusted to decide if they should play on but Ismael disagrees.

“One time we played a friendly game against Anderlecht and I played against Jan Koller,” recalled Ismael, who also played for Bayern Munich and Crystal Palace, amongst others. “It was a similar situation.

“I went down and off the pitch and you think you can play but after a few minutes you feel different.

“You have to think about your health and be checked before the next game.

“Sunday was horrific. I think everyone who saw this collision had the same feeling so I think we have to have confidence in our analysis of the situation to better protect the player. For sure we want to win but the players are very important.”

As for his own team's injuries ahead of Tuesday's Championship game at Birmingham City, the game will come too soon for Jordan Williams, but fellow defender Aapo Halme did enough in training on Sunday to convince Ismael he is ready return from the calf problem which has kept him out since the victory at Derby County, the Reds' only Championship away win this season.

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