There were upsetting scenes during Fiorentina’s 1-0 defeat to Verona this afternoon as Moise Kean collapsed on the pitch following a nasty head collision.
Antoine Bernede struck deep into stoppage time to secure hosts Verona all three points, but the hard-fought Serie A contest was largely overshadowed by Kean’s injury midway through the second half.
Kean was treated by Fiorentina’s medical staff for a large wound above his left eye after taking a knee to the side of the head during a three-way tussle involving Pawel Dawidowicz and Diego Coppola.
And while Kean attempted to play on after returning to his feet, the forward hit the deck again moments later, with both sets of players expressing real concern while franticly gesturing for medics to attend to the ex-Everton man.
The 24-year-old Italy international was subsequently stretchered from the field sporting a neck brace, before being carried into a pitch-side ambulance inside Verona’s Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi.
‘ACF Fiorentina announces that the player Moise Kean suffered a head injury during the match against Verona,’ a statement on Fiorentina’s official website said shortly after the final whistle.
‘The player is in hospital for checks.’
The events were eerily similar to those that played out back in December when Fiorentina midfielder Edoardo Bove – on loan from Roma – collapsed during the side’s league match with Inter Milan.
Bove later underwent successful surgery to implant a removable heart starter device and the 22-year-old was in the stands to watch Fiorentina’s loss in Verona today.
The Italy Under-21 international was seen turning away as the ordeal involving Kean played out.
‘I was very worried on the touchline and hope it is nothing serious,’ Fiorentina head coach Raffaele Palladino told reports when asked for an update on Kean at his post-match press conference.
‘The player’s health is the most important thing.’
On Fiorentina losing for a third game on the bounce, Palladino added: ‘We need to shut up and get working. I am the first person responsible when things aren’t going right.
‘We are lacking a sense of calm at the moment and we all want to get out of this situation together. We apologise to our fans, we wanted to make them happy and did not manage it.’
Kean has enjoyed an excellent debut season with Fiorentina following a €13million (£11m) transfer move from Juventus, racking up 15 goals and two assists for the club in the Italian top flight.
Only Atalanta’s Mateo Retegui has outscored Kean in Serie A this term and Fiorentina will hope to have their star man back to full strength as quickly as possible, with Palladino’s men in the hunt for European qualification.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.