Emi Martinez has reportedly suffered a jawbone injury following a terrifying head collision during Chelsea’s 2-0 triumph over Everton.
The goalkeeper was left motionless on the turf after colliding heads with Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite.
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The match was suspended for more than nine minutes while the World Cup-winning shot-stopper received medical attention. Martinez was given oxygen before being carried off on a stretcher and subsequently taken to a hospital in Liverpool for further checks.
There were encouraging signs as the 34-year-old appeared conscious and was seen moving his arms while being taken off. Mike Penders replaced him, making his Premier League debut in the process.
Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso offered an update on the situation, saying: “It was a concussion, but beyond that I do not know. I have only seen one clip of the incident, so we need to wait. What we know is that he left the stadium conscious and is now in hospital undergoing precautionary tests.
Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez sufrió un duro golpe durante el segundo tiempo del partido entre Chelsea y Everton, por la Premier League. El arquero argentino quedó tendido en el césped tras chocar con un rival cuando intentaba despejar un centro. Después de ocho minutos de atención… pic.twitter.com/Nmi2qvLKW5
— Contexto Tucumán (@contextocomar) October 17, 2026
“We need to wait. Hopefully it will not be too serious, but at the moment we just have to wait.”
Argentine journalist Gaston Edul reports that Martinez will spend the night in hospital. Nevertheless, the goalkeeper is said to be conscious and doing well. Scans of his head, back and neck have reportedly shown no serious problems, although a bone injury has been identified in his jaw.
The setback has raised questions about Martinez’s availability for Chelsea’s next three games. The Blues are due to face Tottenham at home in the Premier League, travel to Liverpool for a Carabao Cup tie and host Manchester United in the league.
Chelsea will also be required to follow concussion safety procedures, meaning Martinez must successfully complete a six-stage ‘return to play’ process before being cleared to play again.
Elsewhere, Pedro Neto’s two-goal performance at the Hill Dickinson Stadium helped Chelsea bring Everton’s unbeaten run at the start of the season to an end. The London side also secured their first Premier League clean sheet in nine months.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the final whistle, Neto dedicated the victory to his injured teammate, saying: “We are really pleased. Shame for Emi but we wish him all the best. This win is for him. We are really happy but of course are thoughts are with him.
“Happy to get the win. We needed a clean sheet to be honest. We did a very good game. Emi deserved this. Mike deserved this as well. So we are really happy.”
Alonso also praised his team’s display following the victory on Merseyside, saying: “We are very happy with the result and the performance. We needed one of these wins away, where we have played very professionally and seriously, looking solid. It was a very good win. We got many things right.
“We looked in control of the game, there were moments for sure when we had to defend, especially in the first half, but overall the team looked mature, knew what to do in each moment, and knew we’d have our own moment. That happened in the second half.
“After that, we were good with the ball, creating chances and not conceding much. To win away is always tough, and we got the clean sheet. We knew it was a matter of time and finally we got it.”
