Celtic defender Christopher Jullien played down injury fears on Saturday evening as he assured fans that he was feeling well.
The tweet came just hours after he had suffered what looked an innocuous head collision with a Hamilton player during the 1-0 win at New Douglas Park.
Should Celtic have shown more care towards Jullien
The incident, near the end of the match, didn’t force the Frenchman off the pitch but questions may again be asked whether Celtic should have withdrawn him given the circumstances.
“Chris Jullien had a wee minute – a second or so – of a blackout, but he was able to finish the game out,” Neil Lennon told the Daily Record post-match.
The Northern Irishman’s very admission that Jullien had suffered “a blackout” no matter how briefly, is concerning. The club had a couple of substitutions they could have made, but even if they didn’t, surely player safety should have taken precedence.
In the age when more and more is being found out about head injuries, it would have been nice to see the club take the lead and remove their player given that he had effectively been unconscious.
This isn’t a witch hunt against any of the Celtic medical staff – including the terrific Tim Williamson. They are able to give their feedback on an issue but it’s only advice. The final decision still rests with the manager who clearly has the team’s best interests at heart.
But surely it is time football’s governing body introduced some new laws around concussions. Jullien could have stepped off the pitch and been replaced temporarily while his issue was diagnosed.
Otherwise it just seems like a risk not worth taking. Not with player’s health at stake.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
