Mañas stays under observation after head blow and won’t return to Vitoria

Aitor Mañas, from the club’s academy, was a headline moment for a scare in the closing stages of the match at El Sardinero. As MARCA reports, the youngster took a knock to the head after an aerial duel with José Salinas, and had to be taken off the field on a stretcher.

Impact and medical protocol

Mañas initially got back up and tried to carry on, but soon he appeared to be dizzy. MARCA says teammates and the officials surrounding the game quickly called the medical staff. He left the stadium conscious, but was transferred to hospital and the concussion protocol was triggered, which also allowed both teams an extra substitution.

Won’t travel back

According to Quique in the post-match press conference, “he suffered a very strong blow”, though during the game he had “regained consciousness and everything is under control”. The coach added that the player was taken to hospital and will stay in Santander for observation, meaning he won’t return to Vitoria with the rest of the squad.

From a tactical standpoint, Mañas was the last change made by Quique with five minutes to go, as the manager brought on Toni Martínez and Lucas Boyé to push for an equaliser with a more direct approach. It didn’t work, and the scare forced Mañas off earlier than expected. For now, the indications are that it may end up as a bad contusion, but his evolution after the head injury will decide what happens next.