MX23RW : Friday, June 29 13:05:36

FIFA to review concussion protocol following Nordin Amrabat selection

FIFA to review concussion protocol
© Reuters
FIFA will consider changes to its concussion protocols following Morocco's decision to play Nordin Amrabat just five days after suffering a concussion.

FIFA has decided to consider changes to its concussion protocols following Morocco's decision to play Nordin Amrabat just five days after suffering a concussion.

The winger was hurt in a clash of heads during his nation's opening World Cup meeting with Iran on June 15.

Despite suffering memory loss and spending a night in hospital, Amrabat played in Morocco's second Group B match against Portugal on Wednesday, five days after his head injury.

The decision for Amrabat to play was strongly criticised by brain injury experts, who pointed out that the player should have taken at least a week off, as per FIFA's 'return to play' guidelines.

"When I saw what happened, I was not just surprised but disappointed and very angry," Michel d'Hooghe, head of FIFA's medical committee, told the Daily Mail.

"All the team doctors know very well what should happen, but Morocco's behaviour was in defiance of our guidelines. We though that with these guidelines we had enough power, but it seems now that this is not the case.

"Perhaps we need to go one step further and impose sanctions if the guidelines are not followed. I am convinced that the majority of team doctors take this very seriously, but now we face a new problem thanks to the Moroccan medical delegation."

The Watford man initially wore a rugby-style scrum cap against the Euro 2016 champions but discarded it after just 16 minutes.

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Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring the opening goal during his side's World Cup Group B clash against Morocco on June 20, 2018
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