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Brain injury charity Headway have questioned Aston Villa's handling of John McGinn's head injury, with the midfielder set to miss their Carabao Cup clash with Chelsea due to concussion.
McGinn was a 40th-minute concussion substitute in Villa's 3-0 win over Everton on Saturday, with manager Dean Smith saying the Scotland star told staff he felt dizzy during the game.
Headway chief executive Peter McCabe said in the case of head injuries, players should not be allowed to determine whether they can play on, and that temporary concussion substitutes — when a player is replaced for 10 minutes while he is assessed in private — should be introduced.
Brain injury charity Headway questioned Aston Villa's handling of John McGinn's head injury
McGinn will not play at Stamford Bridge under the FA's 'return to play' guidelines that demand a six-day absence for a head injury.
'The way in which this incident played out does not look good,' said McCabe. 'A player sustained a clear blow to the head after just six minutes. Around 30 minutes later, the player himself is asking to be removed because, according to his own manager, he felt dizzy — a clear sign of concussion.'
The FA's concussion protocols read: 'At all levels in football, if a player is
