A head injury Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano "Dibu" Martinez suffered in the Blues' 2-0 win over Everton on Saturday, Oct. 17 was serious enough for the Argentina international to be taken to the hospital, with the club waiting to see his status.
Martinez was racing off his line to a claim a set piece in the 66th minute, when Everton center back Jarrad Branthwaite tried to put a header on the ball but instead made contact with the goalkeeper.
That led to a long delay as Martinez was given medical attention for nearly 10 minutes, with Mike Penders replacing him in the 75th minute after Martinez left the field on a stretcher.
¡DRAMÁTICA LESIÓN DEL DIBU MARTÍNEZ! 😱🚨 🇦🇷🧤 El arquero argentino sufrió un duro choque con Branthwaite y tuvo que abandonar
el campo en camilla. 🔵 Everton 0-1 Chelsea 🔵 📺 UNIVERSO y Telemundo APP ➡️ https://t.co/gaQqkWOvvq#PremierLeagueTelemundo #PremierLeague… pic.twitter.com/6FbzDwuzqy
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) October 17, 2026
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso said Martinez was alert as he left the field but that additional studies were underway to understand what injury he'd suffered and what the next course of action needs to be.
"As far as I know, he left the stadium conscious. Right now he's in the hospital doing some precautionary tests," the Chelsea coach said. "So, let's see, but this is what I know so far."
Xabi Alonso shares an update on Emi Martinez ❤️ pic.twitter.com/kUfenwyBVN
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 17, 2026
Chelsea won the game thanks to a double from Pedro Neto, who scored just after the second half started and just before the match ended to help the club secure its fourth win of seven matches so far this year.
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While the injury clearly was something that caused Chelsea to take every precaution, some Everton fans remained unconvinced the oft-provocative goalkeeper wasn't simply wasting time, with boos heard on the broadcast as the stretcher started to take Martinez off the field.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chelsea goalie Dibu Martinez taken to hospital after head injury vs. Everton
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