EFL conflict halted after horror harm with star administered oxygen and stretchered off
An EFL clash had to be halted for over 12 minutes after Cardiff City star player Yousef Salech suffered a sickening injury that left the Dane needing oxygen
Yousef Salech was carried off on a stretcher(Image: Kieran McManus/Shutterstock)
An EFL clash was halted on Saturday lunchtime after a player suffered a horror injury that left him needing oxygen.
Cardiff City and Stockport County’s League One clash was delayed for 12 minutes as treatment was given to Bluebirds striker Yousef Salech. Cardiff were already one goal down when Salech collided in the air with Stockport centre back Brad Hills.
The clash, that occurred in the centre-circle left the striker clutching his head as medics rushed to his side. Salech was given oxygen as the game was stopped and he was taken off on a stretcher to a round of applause.
One fan shared: “Injury like that sucks all the momentum out of the game. It’s a culmination of the treatment Salech has suffered all season. Defenders can’t handle him so end up fouling him. All we can hope is that the injury isn’t as bad as it looks! Gutted.”
“Absolutely shocking refereeing has led to Salech being seriously hurt,” a second said. While a third posted: “Refs fault this he’s allowed Stockport to foul Salech all game. Same every week…”
And another added: “Seasons worth of dire treatment of Salech accumulates to him leaving a game on a stretcher Hope we get some investigation into this week in week out the same incompetence…”
Salech has scored 12 goals this season and has been a hit since his move from IK Sirius in 2024, he agreed a one-year extension for the Welsh club earlier this week.
“Obviously he’s a player who’s going to attract a lot of attention based on how well he’s done previously – and how well he’s doing currently,”Cardiff boss Brian Barry-Murphy said of Salech.
“The club want to make sure that we’re protected and show how much we value him – and the fact that he feels the same is very important.
“He’s a very confident guy, and he backs that up with how hard he’s working every single day to improve, because he knows he needs to improve,” he added.
“He’ll have designs on playing at the very highest level of European or English football and our job is to give him the platform to do that.
“We’re all very confident and passionate about making him realise that ambition – and thankfully he feels that as well.”
