Hull midfielder fractures skull, has surgery
Hull midfielder Ryan Mason underwent surgery after fracturing his skull during a collision of heads during a 2-0 loss at Chelsea in an English Premier League match Sunday.
Mason, 25, “is in a stable condition and is expected to remain in hospital for the next few days,” Hull said in a statement.
The Englishman was taken to the neurosurgery unit at a hospital close to Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge after the collision with Chelsea defender Gary Cahill as they went to head the ball.
Mason was treated for almost 10 minutes on the field before departing on a stretcher, while receiving oxygen.
“Everyone at the club would like to express their sincere thanks for the excellent and swift care” at the hospital, Hull said.
Cahill did manage to return to action after receiving treatment despite doubts about his condition. He scored Chelsea’s second goal in a 2-0 victory and completed the game.
“It was a bad accident with Gary and, I must be honest, after the first half, also Gary wasn’t really good,” Chelsea manager Antonio Conte said. “He decided to continue the game. It was very bad this accident.”
There was an outpouring of messages to Mason from rival clubs and players.
The incident overshadowed the return of troubled Diego Costa to Chelsea after a onegame absence. Costa marked his 100th Chelsea appearance by scoring the opener. The EPL leaders moved eight points clear at the top.
Elsewhere in the EPL, Arsenal defeated Burnley 2-1, but the win was marred by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger pushing an official . ... Leicester has mounted the most feeble defense of an EPL title and is in a relegation dogfight after a 3-0 loss to Southampton. Having lost half of their 22 games, Claudio Ranieri’s players are sitting only five points above the drop zone. Not since Manchester City in 1938 have the topflight title winners been relegated the following season. Spain: With Lionel Messi’s fifth goal in six games this year, Barcelona defeated Eibar 4-0 to keep pace with leaders Real Madrid and Sevilla at the halfway point of the Spanish league.
Substitute Denis Suarez, Uruguay striker Luis Suarez and Brazil forward Neymar also scored as the defending champions cruised to victory in the Basque Country to finish the first half of the season two points behind Madrid and one behind Sevilla. France: Monaco moved to the top of the French league and padded out its huge goal difference following a 4-0 home win against Lorient. Striker Valere Germain and midfielder Gabriel Boschilia got two goals each.
Monaco made it 64 goals in 21 league games — more than any other team in Europe’s top five leagues, with 21 goals conceded — and 90 in 34 overall. It was also the ninth time this season that Monaco has scored at least four goals.
Mario Balotelli’s teammate, Alassane Plea, says he heard Bastia supporters racially abusing the Nice striker with monkey chants during Friday night’s league match. On Saturday, Balotelli described the abuse he heard during the 1-1 draw at the 20,000-capacity Armand Cesari stadium in Corsica, complaining that the French league had not acted swiftly. Plea told French football show Telefoot on Sunday that he heard the abuse.