Medical insider issues ‘big’ Vladimir Coufal claim as behind-the-scenes West Ham details emerge
Vladimir Coufal must be completely symptom-free if he is to have any chance of playing for West Ham against Aston Villa on Sunday (28 August) following his recent concussion.
That is the view of medical expert Ben Dinnery, who runs the Premier Injuries site and has a background in injury and data analysis.
Coufal, 30, was knocked unconscious in the Hammers’ 2-0 defeat to Brighton last Sunday (21 August).
The Czech right-back was absent from the matchday squad that beat Viborg 3-0 on Thursday (25 August) to ensure qualification for the Europa Conference League group stages.
Speaking to club media ahead of the match, David Moyes explained that “concussion protocols” meant he was unavailable.
The current guidelines stipulate that a player must not play competitively for a minimum of six days after a concussion.
That means he will be available against Villa on the “big” condition that he is symptom-free, explains Dinnery.
“We are talking about advanced care setting here,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“There are nuances around players at different levels, but there are six stages to an advanced care setting for elite players.
“Stage one is 24 hours of complete rest. Coufal played on Sunday, so there is nothing done before Monday evening, when he may have popped back down to the club.
“You need to be symptom-free. Any problems whatsoever, forget about them. That is big in this context and vital to the player’s safety.
“But if there are no outward symptoms, after that 24-hour rest, he may be able to do very light exercise and individual work away from the group.
“Stage three is more sport-specific, maybe some ball work. Again, that’s away from the main group with a club doctor.
“At stage four, maybe you’ll be introduced to non-contact training without engaging in challenges. It’s just about building up the intensity.
“Stage five, you’ll be looking to be involved in full contact training. At stage six, that is the return to play. He will be monitored through this and if at any stage you have any worries, you will be held back.”
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