George Earthy, 19, made his Premier League debut on Sunday, and it resulted in a massive scare. The West Ham youngster suffered a concussion after colliding with his teammate Edson Alvarez, and Earthy required several minutes of medical attention.
He was then stretchered off and taken to a hospital.
West Ham United vs Bayer Leverkusen FYIs
Kickoff: Thurs. April 18, 8pm, London Stadium
Competition: UEFA Europa League Quarterfinal Leg 1/2
Aggregate: Bayer Leverkusen leads 2-0
Fun Fact: The last time Bayer Leverkusen faced an English side, in European competition, it was also a London club, Tottenham Hotspur, in the 2016-17 UEFA Champions League
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
West Ham Preview Content: Team News Starting XI Prediction
“George is back home,” said West Ham performance director Richard Collinger after the game. “We will continue to monitor him over the coming days as he completes the graduated return to play programme.”
Earthy is definitely out versus Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday night, and concussion protocol will determine when he returns to action.
West Ham United Team News vs Bayer Leverkusen
Elsewhere Alphonse Areola (groin) remains out, but he should be back before the end of the month. The same cannot be said for Kalvin Phillips and Jarrod Bowen. Both are out indefinitely.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network and the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Twitter.