Chelsea have lost Emi Martinez to a terrible looking head or neck injury after a collision at a set piece.

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Chelsea goalkeeper Emi Martinez has been strapped to the back-board and stretchered off after a sicking collision with Jarrad Branthwaite at a set piece.

The ball was swung in and both players attacked it from opposing angles. Martinez came off worse, and looked like he was in the dreaded “fencing position” as he lay on the ground.

At the very least, it looks like a bad concussion. It took ten minutes to get him stretchered off, and there’s not yet any more information about his status. He was conscious as he was taken off, at least.

You can see the incident in the clip embedded here:

🚨 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: Emiliano Martínez has to come OFF!

BAD HEAD INJURY! pic.twitter.com/SYSmUhM4BF

— GoalAlert HQ ⚽️ 🥅 (@GoalAlertHQ) October 17, 2026

Penders gets unexpected chance to step up in big moment

The result of this horrible injury is that 21 year old Mike Penders will come on to replace Martinez for his Premier League debut. It’s a huge moment for him, and a moment that a lot of Chelsea fans have waited years for. It’s just a real shame it’s come in these circumstances.

Incredibly, he could get a Premier League clean sheet on his debut – ending Chelsea’s run without one that stretches back to January.

In other news…

Chelsea risked a red card as tensions boil over at the Hill Dickinson, but this goal should ease the tension majorly.

Xabi Alonso insisted before this game that Chelsea had enough in midfield despite losing Reece James to injury this week.

Chavarria was out of the team, and we had already speculated that it must be an injury.