Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez has had surgery on a broken jaw after a head-on collision in Chelsea’s 2-0 Premier League win at Everton on Saturday, Oct. 17, the London club said. Martínez, who joined Chelsea from Aston Villa in August, wrote from hospital that he expects to be back “in a few weeks.”
How he was hurt
The collision came midway through the second half, when Martínez went to clear a free kick into the area and his head hit Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite’s. The match was stopped for several minutes while medical staff treated the goalkeeper on the pitch, and he was carried off on a stretcher and taken to a local hospital. Mike Penders, 21, replaced him in his Chelsea debut.
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso said after the game that Martínez was in hospital for precautionary tests and that it was a concussion. Early tests ruled out complications in his head, neck and back, Argentine reports said, but a fractured jaw was confirmed.
The surgery
“Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has undergone successful surgery on a fractured jaw,” Chelsea said in a statement, adding that everyone at the club wishes him “a speedy recovery and will support him throughout.” Martínez posted from his hospital bed that the operation went well and thanked fans for their messages, noting that the team won without conceding.
What it means for Chelsea and Argentina
Chelsea’s next four games are Tottenham on Oct. 24, Liverpool in the League Cup on Oct. 28, Manchester United on Oct. 31 and Sunderland on Nov. 8. Penders, who made his Chelsea debut on Saturday, is set to take Martínez’s place.
For Argentina, the question is the two friendly matches (games that do not count in any competition) in the next international break: Uruguay in Buenos Aires on Nov. 13 and Costa Rica in Córdoba on Nov. 17. Whether he is fit is a decision for his doctors and national-team coach Lionel Scaloni, who is following the case closely, Argentine reports said.
Martínez, 34, moved to Chelsea on Aug. 30 on a three-year contract after leaving Aston Villa. British media reported the fee at £7.5 million (about US$10 million).