Leeds United have defended their treatment of Robin Koch and insisted the player passed all of the required concussion protocols before being allowed to play on in Sunday’s 4-2 defeat by Manchester United.Koch went down after a collision with United’s Scott McTominay in the 12th minute of the match and was assessed by Leeds’ medical team.He was allowed to resume playing, before then going down again less than 20 minutes later. Koch was withdrawn for Junior Firpo.The Premier League’s rules on temporary concussion substitutes were heavily criticised on Monday morning by the PFA and Headway, a leading brain-injury charity.In a statement later on Monday, Leeds said: “Leeds United can confirm that following a clash of heads, Robin Koch passed all of the on-field concussion screening tests that are currently part of the Premier League protocols.“The player was told if he developed any symptoms he should sit down on the field of play and would be substituted immediately, which is what Robin did in the 29th minute of the game.“The medical staff at Leeds United have always been in favour of temporary substitutions for head injuries, as it would allow the staff more time to assess an injury and allow a period for symptoms to potentially develop.“Robin will follow the concussion protocols before returning to play.”Following the incident, the PFA again called for the introduction of temporary concussion substitutes, rather than the permanent system that IFAB began trialing last January.It said that “the current concussion protocols within football are failing to prioritise player safety”.(Photo: Getty Images)
