Petr Cech praises new medical rules

By Tom Williams, Reporter | 20 March 2012

Petr Cech says that new medical rules brought in after he suffered a head injury on the pitch could have saved Fabrice Muamba's life.

Petr Cech has said that new medical rules brought in after he suffered a head injury on the pitch could have saved Fabrice Muamba's life.

The Bolton Wanderers player collapsed during an FA Cup match with Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday and received quick medical attention on the pitch.

The incident brought back memories of Chelsea keeper Cech's own life-threatening injury, when he was knocked out by the knee of Reading winger Stephen Hunt.

"I was watching the Tottenham game on TV on Saturday and I just couldn't keep looking at the pictures," Cech said. "But at least I was relieved to see the medical attention he was receiving.

"It is good to see that after what happened to me at Reading in 2006, the rules and medical facilities to deal with a situation like this have changed for the better.

"When I suffered my head injury you can see me crawling off the pitch and it took so much time before I was carried away on the stretcher. Then they could not get me to an ambulance for a long time."

Muamba remains in intensive care but is showing some signs of improvement.