Emiliano Martinez was taken to hospital after a sickening clash of heads with Jarrad Branthwaite during Chelsea's 2-0 Premier League win over Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium

Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso has confirmed that Emi Martinez was conscious when he was stretchered off the pitch after sustaining a head injury.

The Argentine stopper was carried off at the Hill Dickinson Stadium and rushed to a nearby hospital following a horrific collision with Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite. The England defender clattered into the goalkeeper while challenging for a cross, leaving both players stricken on the turf and forcing a delay of over 10 minutes.

Former Aston Villa man Martinez had produced a string of vital stops during the match, most notably a breathtaking reflex save to deny Jack Grealish's volley, which appeared destined for the net. Despite Chelsea ultimately cruising to a 2-0 victory, concerns over the World Cup winner's wellbeing cast a shadow over yet another triumph for the Spanish boss.

Alonso said: "As far as I know, he left the stadium conscious; he's in the hospital doing precautionary tests. Let's see. This is all I know so far."

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Chelsea had been clinging to a slender one-goal advantage at the time, courtesy of Pedro Neto's early second-half opener. The Portuguese winger then put the result beyond doubt in stoppage time with a curling effort to seal the points, reports Football London.

Youngster Mike Penders stepped in for his Premier League debut, replacing Martinez between the sticks and becoming Chelsea's youngest ever top-flight goalkeeper at just 21 years old. He delivered a composed performance in the closing stages, helping the Blues keep their first clean sheet in nine months.

The 34 year old faces at least a fortnight on the sidelines under concussion protocols, ruling him out of next week's fixture against Tottenham Hotspur and casting doubt over his availability for the Carabao Cup encounter with Liverpool at Anfield and the Manchester United match on 31st October.

In recent years, the Football Association (FA) has introduced rigorous head injury protocols. When a player is deemed concussed, they must be monitored for 24 hours before embarking on a six-stage 'return to play' programme.

This includes an initial 48-hour rest period with limited physical exertion and 'cognitive' activities, including screen time and work commitments.

The FA recommends "a staged and graduated return to full daily activities", noting that "football training is allowed, but at a rate that does not worsen existing symptoms more than mildly or produce new symptoms".