Nottingham Forest goalkeeper Brice Samba sustained a shocking head injury in their 2-1 win over rivals Derby County on Saturday.
Samba was left with significant swelling on his head after clashing with Derby captain Tom Lawrence in the first half of the Championship match at the City Ground.
The 27-year-old collided with Lawrence after challenging the Derby forward for the ball late in the first half.
Samba was treated on the pitch for several minutes, with fans on Twitter expressing their concern for the Forest goalkeeper.
“Okay Brice Samba should have been subbed off immediately. That lump on his forehead is SCARY,” wrote one fan.
“Brice Samba has a welt on the side of his head the size of a tennis ball following a collision. Surely no way he plays in the second half for Forest,” added another.
However, Samba was allowed to play on and reemerged with his team-mates for the second half, albeit with his head heavily bandaged.
Some fans on Twitter expressed their disbelief that Samba had been cleared to play on.
“Samba has a lump the size of an egg just above his eye. How can you play on with that? You've got to take head injuries seriously,” wrote one.
Another added: “What is the #nffc physio thinking letting #samba play on with this head injury????”
Forest would take the lead shortly after the break through Lewis Grabban before Brennan Johnson made it 2-0 to the home side later in the half.
Samba and Lawrence would clash again in the closing stages after Derby were awarded a penalty.
After being brought down in the box, Lawrence stepped up to scored past Samba and ran to retrieve the ball as Derby looked for a late equaliser.
However, Samba refused to hand over possession - sparking a goalmouth scuffle, which saw both players booked by the referee.
The match ended with Derby midfielder Ravel Morrison sent off for a studs-up challenge on Philip Zinckernagel.
Victory for Forest temporarily moves them up to eighth before the afternoon kick-offs, with Derby remaining second bottom of the division – eight points adrift of safety.
Featured Image Credit: Sky SportsTopics: Derby County, Nottingham Forest, EFL Championship, Football
Rory O'Callaghan