Jesse Derry’s Premier League debut ended in worrying scenes as he was put on oxygen and carried off on a stretcher after a nasty head collision. The 18-year-old was handed the starting line-up against Nottingham Forest at Stamford Bridge by caretaker manager Callum McFarlane. However, the talented academy player suffered a serious injury that resulted in a lengthy suspension and was sent off before half-time.
With Chelsea leading 2-0, Derry earned his team a penalty, but at the same time suffered an ugly collision with Zac Abbott in the 44th minute, with both of them lunging forward and heading the ball away. Derry’s Chelsea teammate and referee Anthony Taylor immediately recognized the seriousness of the incident and gestured for medical treatment. The match was halted for more than 10 minutes while the pair received treatment, with medical staff seen administering oxygen to the boy, and an eerie silence filled the stadium.
Both teams substituted players using the concussion substitution rule. Abbott looked okay as he stood up and left the field, but was replaced by Neco Williams for a health check. Derry, son of former Premier League defender Sean, was replaced by Liam Delap.
As Derry was carried down the tunnel on a stretcher, all four corners of the ground clapped to see him off. Sky Sports reported just after half-time that Derry had been taken to Chelsea Westminster Hospital for precautionary tests.
Former Chelsea goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer said on BBC Radio 5 Live: “Derry looked in good form. When they had the ball they were confident and willing to take on opponents. They played with real maturity. They had a few half-chances, but every time Chelsea did get a chance, it was from the left.”
“It’s a real desire, no fear. It was an unfortunate incident, there was no malice in it. I think Derry just got there a little bit ahead of Zac Abbott, and both players were on the ground. It’s not a pretty picture to look at at all and there’s a lot of concern about his health. Let’s hope he’s OK. There was applause when they lifted the stretcher.”
And after a long break, Cole Palmer’s spot-kick was saved by Forest goalkeeper Mats Sells. This was only the second of Palmer’s 20 missed penalties in the Premier League.
When the half-time whistle finally blew, it was met with loud boos from Chelsea supporters, who had previously been disgruntled after seeing their team lose five games in a row in the Premier League. They have also failed to score in those games, hurting their chances of qualifying for the Champions League.
A much-changed Forest side led 2-0 within 15 minutes in west London thanks to a header from Taiwo Awoniyi and a penalty from Igor Jesus. Three points would help manager Vitor Pereira further avoid relegation, giving him a six-point buffer against 18th-placed West Ham with three games remaining.
Awonih secured two points and made it 3-0 in the 51st minute when substitute Morgan Gibbs-White’s cross was confirmed by a VAR check to be just wide.
Losing to Forest would leave Chelsea in ninth place, three points behind Newcastle United in 13th place. It is up to Aston Villa to win the Europa League and finish fifth or higher, while the team that finishes sixth in the Premier League will also qualify for next season’s Champions League.
