5 hours ago
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Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall could not hide his anger after being substituted with a concussion minutes into his side's clash with Chelsea on Saturday.
The Swedish midfielder, 19, hit the turf after a blow to the head in the third minute of the match, alerting Tottenham's medical team as he stumbled to his feet in a daze.
During a lengthy stoppage, Bergvall was assessed by the club doctor and cut a defiant figure as he loudly gestured his desire to continue.
In a fury, the midfielder shoved the doctor and remonstrated to Thomas Frank that he was fine to carry on — but the Danish manager trusted his medical team and immediately called for Xavi Simons to replace the Swede, much to his frustration.
As his number was displayed, Bergvall immediately stormed down the tunnel with his head bowed, clearly disappointed to be heading for an early shower.
The Premier League introduced concussion substitutions in February 2021 as part of a trial from the International Football Association Board (IFAB).
Tottenham's Lucas Bergvall could not hide his anger after being substituted with a concussion
The Swede hit the turf after a blow to the head and stumbled as he returned to his feet
Bergvall furiously stormed down the tunnel after being substituted off for Xavi Simons
Each team are permitted to make up to two permanent concussion substitutions per game in an effort to handle head injuries more safety and protect player welfare.
Although the rule change has been overwhelmingly positive in terms of player safety, there is often a reluctance among footballers to accept the decision made by medical staff, especially if they seem fine and are determined to carry on to help the team.
The London derby was Bergvall's first start in the Premier League since September and only his fifth all season.
Frank revealed before kick-off that he played Bergvall over the likes of Simons, Brennan Johnson and Mathys Tel because he felt the match would be very open, anticipating his athleticism would give Spurs more legs in midfield.
Bergvall signed for Spurs on deadline day in the 2024 January transfer window, arriving from Swedish outfit Djurgarden.
Since his £8.5million move, the youngster has played 60 games for Tottenham but struggled to establish a prolonged run in the team under Frank or his predecessor Ange Postecoglou.
