Arsenal urged not to rush concussed Hector Bellerin back for Hull clash
- Hector Bellerin suffered a sickening head injury in defeat by Chelsea
- Bellerin clashed with Marcos Alonso as the Chelsea man scored the opener
- Concussion campaigners have urged Gunners not to rush him back
Concussion campaigners have warned Arsenal they can take no risks with Hector Bellerin and that the right-back must not be rushed back into Arsene Wenger's team.
Arsenal have put Bellerin on a specialist programme at their London Colney training ground after the 21-year-old suffered a sickening head injury during last week's loss to Chelsea.
Arsenal are waiting to see whether Bellerin will be available to play Hull this weekend after he was unable to answer simple questions during an on-field test at Stamford Bridge.
![Marcos Alonso beats Hector Bellerin in the air to score Arsenal's opening goal](http://web.archive.org./web/20171127212443/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/02/07/19/3CD2E90600000578-0-image-a-24_1486494216479.jpg)
Marcos Alonso beats Hector Bellerin in the air to score Arsenal's opening goal
![Bellerin suffered a sickening head injury after the clash with his Chelsea opponent](http://web.archive.org./web/20171127212443/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/02/07/19/3CD2E40400000578-0-image-a-30_1486494260432.jpg)
Bellerin suffered a sickening head injury after the clash with his Chelsea opponent
That included the right-back not knowing what the score was when asked by Arsenal physio Colin Lewin, but it is hoped he will get the green light for Saturday.
The Spaniard's schedule this week is seeing him stay away from first-team training, as Arsenal monitor him to make sure he is not suffering from concussion.
Dawn Astle – the daughter of Jeff Astle, the former England international whose death from brain trauma at age 59 was caused by heading footballs – says Arsenal cannot take any chances.
'There is no room for error,' Dawn told Sportsmail. 'There is no room for risks. No risks should be taken at all. It's better to err on the side of caution.
'I've watched the clip again. He's just out. People think of concussion, it is a bit of a wishy-washy word but it is a brain injury.
'If his arm had been broken, people can see that. But you can't see what's happening to the most fragile, complex organ in the body that once it is damaged doesn't repair itself. It's so important.'
![Arsenal's physios give medical attention to the stricken full back after the incident](http://web.archive.org./web/20171127212443/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/02/07/19/3CD2E4D400000578-0-image-a-28_1486494248610.jpg)
Arsenal's physios give medical attention to the stricken full back after the incident
Bellerin is being assessed by Arsenal club doctor Gary O'Driscoll, formerly of the British and Irish rugby teams.
He is the son of Barry O'Driscoll, the former World Rugby medical adviser who has campaigned for greater care when it comes to concussion.
Gary is also chairman of the Premier League club doctors' group and was part of the panel that announced new rules regarding head injuries in 2014.
It was a good sign that Bellerin left Stamford Bridge with his team-mates on Saturday and was seen sitting on the substitutes' bench in the second half.
It is believed the biggest impact from Alonso was on his jaw rather than the top of his head, giving Arsenal hope that no serious damage was done.
![Bellerin was unable to carry on after the clash and was substituted for Gabriel](http://web.archive.org./web/20171127212443/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/02/07/19/3CD2E68C00000578-0-image-a-29_1486494254312.jpg)
Bellerin was unable to carry on after the clash and was substituted for Gabriel
If he is unavailable to play Hull, Arsenal are anticipating no problems ahead of their Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.
A spokesperson for Headway, the brain injury charity, said: 'We were pleased to see that after concussion was suspected, the protocol was followed and the player was removed from play.
'Quite rightly, it appears he is going through the graduated return to play protocol. While this normally takes 14 days, the FA's rules state that if the player is in an enhanced care setting and as long as they pass all the necessary tests, they can return after six days.
'If the player shows any signs or symptoms of concussion during this time, they will have to begin the process again.
'Of course, regardless of how many days have passed, we would always advise the safety-first approach and recommend players do not return to play unless they are medically assessed as being fully fit to do so.'
![Former West Brom player Jeff Astle died from brain trauma at the age of 59 in 2002](http://web.archive.org./web/20171127212443/http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2017/02/07/19/000B823D00000C1D-0-Jeff_Astle_died-a-36_1486495241138.jpg)
Former West Brom player Jeff Astle died from brain trauma at the age of 59 in 2002
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