Brain injury charity makes 'concerning' call after Harry Maguire's Manchester United incident

Brain injury charity Headway have called for an overhaul of the concussion process in football after an incident involving Manchester United defender Harry Maguire.

The centre-back went down following a collision with Rodrigo Muniz during United's 1-0 Premier League win over the Cottagers on Saturday. He was assessed by medical staff and passed the concussion protocols after a check by club doctor Gary O'Driscoll and played on.

Headway labelled the incident 'concerning' and reiterated calls for a change in attitude in the sport to avoid short and long-term brain injuries. Maguire had a cut above his eye following the clash in the opening stages of the game and referee John Brooks then called for the England international to be looked at again in the second half after a headed clearance although Reds boss Erik ten Hag said that was due to a hand injury.

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“The incident with Harry Maguire is concerning for a number of reasons", said Luke Griggs, Chief Executive of Headway. "An opponent’s shoulder strikes the side of his head; minutes later he goes down on his haunches, showing clear signs of discomfort.

"After a brief on-pitch assessment – again highlighting the nonsensical lack of temporary concussion substitutes in football – he was allowed to continue. The sight of the referee then having to intervene in the second half when the player continued to look in difficulty was deeply concerning. But again, after another brief assessment with medics, he was again allowed to play on.

“We are not privy to the discussions with his medical team, nor should their professionalism be