Emiliano Martinez taken to hospital after collision in Chelsea win

Emiliano Martinez was taken to hospital for precautionary tests after being injured in Chelsea's 2-0 Premier League victory at Everton on Saturday. According to BBC Sport, manager Xabi Alonso described the injury as a concussion but said he did not yet know more about the goalkeeper's condition. Alonso confirmed that Martinez was conscious when he left the stadium.

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The Argentina international collided with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite in the 68th minute at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Martinez had been trying to collect a cross from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's free-kick. Play was halted for eight minutes before Mike Penders replaced him, making his Premier League debut and completing the match as Chelsea secured the win through two Pedro Neto goals.

Alonso said he had seen only one clip of the collision and stressed that Chelsea needed to await further information. The assessment leaves uncertainty over Martinez's availability for a sequence of fixtures against Tottenham and Manchester United in the Premier League, with a Carabao Cup match at Liverpool between them. The BBC report did not establish how long he would be absent, and Alonso's comments offered no confirmed return date.

Penders, 21, became Chelsea's youngest goalkeeper to appear in the Premier League, according to the BBC. His introduction gave him his first experience of the competition in an unplanned situation, with the extent of any further involvement dependent on Martinez's condition. The Belgian had previously built senior experience away from Chelsea rather than through appearances for the club in the English top flight.

Chelsea signed Penders from Genk in 2024 and loaned him back to the Belgian side. He spent last season on loan at Strasbourg, playing in Ligue 1 and the Conference League. BBC Sport also reported that he had recently served as Thibaut Courtois' understudy in Belgium's national-team setup, providing international experience alongside his club development.

The injury overshadowed Chelsea's first Premier League clean sheet in nine months, ending a 23-match run without one. Their previous league shutout had come in a 2-0 victory over Brentford in January. Everton managed six shots on Saturday, while Chelsea's defensive improvement followed a 5-1 win over Bournemouth after the international break.