Alex MacQuoid
Jesse Derry Completes Premier League Dream Despite Head Injury Scare
Jesse Derry marked his Chelsea Premier League debut as a “dream come true” after recovering from a head injury that sent him to hospital during the match against Nottingham Forest on Monday.
The 18-year-old made his first start at Stamford Bridge but suffered a collision with Zach Abbott in the 45th minute. After receiving oxygen on the pitch, Derry was stretchered off following a lengthy stoppage. Chelsea confirmed he was “conscious, talking and undergoing precautionary checks” at hospital and has since been released with continued monitoring.
Derry says debut a ‘dream come true’ despite injury. Source: football.london
Derry, son of former Leeds and Crystal Palace midfielder Shaun Derry, had appeared twice off the bench in FA Cup matches before this start.
“A dream come true to start at Stamford Bridge for my Premier League debut. I’d like to thank all the Chelsea medical staff, everyone at St Mary’s Hospital, my teammates, and all the fans for their great support. I can’t wait to be back playing in front of everyone very soon.”
Liam Delap replaced Derry as a concussion substitute, a tactical change permitted under Premier League rules that doesn’t count against a team’s substitution allowance.
The match also saw Morgan Gibbs-White and Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez collide in the second half, though Nottingham Forest did not make a concussion replacement for their midfielder.