EFL supervisor slams ‘lack of safety’ after star taken to hospital and given oxygen

Yousef Salech was rushed to hospital and given oxygen for precautionary scans after being stretchered off during Cardiff City’s 1-1 draw with Stockport County.

Bluebirds manager Brian Barry-Murphy mounted a passionate defence of his striker following the match and slammed what he branded as the “ridiculous” instructions officials have been given to follow this season.

Salech took a nasty knock to the head following an aerial clash with Brad Hills during the first half at the Cardiff City Stadium. Referee Paul Howard chose not to award a foul for the incident, a call that enraged the home crowd, who once again felt their leading goalscorer had been left vulnerable.

JOIN US ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page

The forward received extensive treatment on the turf before being given a standing ovation from all four stands and rushed directly to hospital. Barry-Murphy revealed afterwards that Salech was having neck scans as a safety measure.

“Yousef is in hospital at the moment having a precautionary scan on his neck,” Barry-Murphy said. “We’re just awaiting the results of that,” reports Wales Online.

“It definitely wasn’t nice viewing, but we’re very hopeful. The care he received straight away was excellent.”

Barry-Murphy acknowledged the incident deeply affected those on the field, with Cardiff players requiring time to collect themselves after witnessing a beloved teammate suffer such a serious injury.

“It’s very difficult when you have such a serious injury to someone who’s so close to the group,” he said.

“All the players are very close, so to refocus on the game is not easy. Considering those circumstances, I was over the moon. I was very proud of the way they grew into the game and coped without Yousef.”

However, the Cardiff manager’s harshest criticism was directed at the broader problem of how match officials have handled Salech throughout the season, arguing the injury was a predictable outcome of current rule interpretations.

“It’s been coming, to be honest,” Barry-Murphy declared. “For months now, he hasn’t been protected by referees. We analyse games heavily and if you’re an opposing manager, you see what you can and can’t get away with against a player with his profile.

“He’s clearly been fouled and not got any free-kicks. There’s a lot of talk about thresholds and the level of contact can be prolonged in more than previous years. It’s got ridiculous.

“The level of challenges he’s facing are clear fouls and they’re not being punished. This isn’t just about this game – it’s been building for a long time. This is the kind of natural result of games where he has not been protected by referees.”

The setback couldn’t have come at a worse moment for Cardiff. Salech, who this week penned a 12-month extension tying him to the club until 2030, sits top of the Bluebirds’ scoring charts this campaign.

Barry-Murphy now faces an anxious wait for scan results with a rapid fixture turnaround looming, as Barnsley make the trip to Cardiff City Stadium on Tuesday evening.