Atlético Madrid’s Robin Le Normand diagnosed with ‘traumatic brain injury’ following Real Madrid clash
By David Close, CNN
(CNN) — Two days after the LaLiga match between Atlético Madrid and local rivals Real Madrid, Atlético announced defender Robin Le Normand suffered a “traumatic brain injury” when he collided with Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni late in Sunday’s 1-1 draw.
With just moments remaining in the match, Real’s midfielder Tchouaméni rose to head a Lucas Vázquez cross when Le Normand jumped to defend the scoring opportunity. Tchouaméni connected with the ball just before he and Le Normand inadvertently clashed heads.
Le Normand, a regular in Atlético’s defense and a Spanish international, fell straight to the ground and immediately writhed in pain. Tchouaméni also went to the ground, holding his head.
The match was soon halted. The broadcast showed Le Normand slowly walking off the Metropolitano Stadium pitch with two Atlético medical personnel striding alongside the former Real Sociedad star.
On Tuesday, Atlético released a statement noting the incident involving the 27-year-old was much more severe than initially thought.
“Robin Le Normand suffered a severe blow to the head in the final minutes of the Madrid derby, for which he underwent a series of tests and was assessed by specialists who determined that he suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) with subdural haematoma,” the club said.
A subdural hematoma happens when blood collects between the brain and the skull.
The short statement concluded, “In the process of returning our player to competition, the guidelines set out in the protocol established for this type of trauma will be followed.”
Atlético will face Benfica in a Champions League match at the Estadio da Luz in Portugal on Wednesday.
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