Chelsea goalkeeper Emi Martinez has reassured fans after undergoing surgery on his jaw, following a sickening collision with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite during Chelsea's 2-0 victory over the Toffees. In a social media post from his hospital bed, the goalkeeper confirmed the operation was successful.
Clash of heads halts match
Martinez suffered the injury in a horrifying clash of heads with Branthwaite, who flung himself towards the goalkeeper while attempting to meet a cross into the box. Both players were left motionless on the pitch as the match was brought to a standstill for over 10 minutes while Martinez received medical attention.
Chelsea's players immediately called for assistance, with Levi Colwill seen holding his head in his hands after witnessing the frightening incident unfold. Martinez was eventually stretchered off the pitch, and could be seen moving as he was carried away, his hands placed either side of his head, as per football.london.
Post-surgery update
In a post shared on Instagram, alongside a selfie taken from his hospital bed, Martinez said: "Thanks to everyone for the messages, the operation went well.
"The most important thing is that we won and with a bow at 0. We'll be back in a few weeks."
In the comment section, several Chelsea stars sent their well-wishes to the goalkeeper. Morgan Rogers said: "My GK [Loveheart emojis]" while Moises Caicedo said: "My little brother[hearts]."
Medical assessments and recovery
Argentine journalist Gaston Edul reported that Martinez came through the majority of his examinations without any major concerns, with his head, back and neck all assessed before he was taken to hospital.
Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso confirmed that Martinez was conscious when he left the stadium earlier in the day. "It was a concussion, but beyond that I do not know," he said speaking after the game.
"I have only seen one clip of the incident, so we need to wait. What we know is that he left the stadium conscious and is now in hospital undergoing precautionary tests. We need to wait. Hopefully it will not be too serious, but at the moment we just have to wait."
