Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer believes independent doctors should rule on head injuries in football following what he described as the "nonsensical" decision to allow Fabian Schar to continue playing for Switzerland over the weekend.
The 27-year-old centre-back was knocked out while playing for Switzerland on Saturday after suffering a head-on-head collision with Georgia's Jemal Tabidze.
Schar was out cold for four minutes and, during that time, Georgia's Jano Ananidze inserted his fingers into the defender's mouth to ensure he did not swallow his own tongue.
'Allowing Fabian Schar to play on was dangerous': Charity calls for investigation into head injury
Both Schar and Tabidze received treatment out on the pitch from their respective medical teams before being permitted to continue.
That is despite FIFA regulations outlining that players who have been knocked unconscious should be removed from play immediately.
After the game, Schar admitted that he could not recall the incident - and that his skull was still "humming" as a result of the collision.
'Allowing Fabian Schar to play on was dangerous': Charity calls for investigation into head injury , which has demanded that UEFA launches an investigation into why "their [own] protocols were not followed".
And now Newcastle's all-time record goal-scorer Shearer has joined the calls for independent medical professionals to determine whether a player should be permitted to continue.
"There is no way in the world that Fabian Schar should have been allowed to play on. It’s ridiculous," Shearer , who is a columnist for The Sun , told the national publication.
“For games at the top level, there needs to be an independent doctor not connected to any country or any club. They can watch the footage and make a decision that is final.
“If there is any doubt whatsoever, you get the player off the pitch. There is no way an independent doctor would have allowed someone who was knocked out to carry on.
“Why should a doctor wait for a referee to call him on when there is something as serious as a head injury?
“ How Fabian Schar's sickening head injury shows football's lawmakers which protocols need reforming If an independent doctor is watching the game, he knows what has happened and should be straight on the pitch.”
How Fabian Schar's sickening head injury shows football's lawmakers which protocols need reforming
Switzerland play Denmark on Tuesday evening, but Schar will not be involved after Newcastle and the defender's national FA collectively agreed that he return to Tyneside for further assessment.
But Shearer insists that United should not have been forced to get involved in the first place; instead, Schar should have been withdrawn from Saturday's game once he was knocked out, and then the natural course of action should have ensured he was never considered for selection for the Denmark match.
“Newcastle shouldn’t have to get involved. It’s nonsensical," Shearer - who fronted a BBC documentary in 2017 entitled 'Dementia, Football and Me', during which the Newcastle legend admitted he was concerned by the impact heading the ball throughout his career could have on his future health - added.
"Switzerland let Schar play on and then pull him out of the next game two days later.”
Schar will miss Newcastle's trip to the Emirates to take on Arsenal on Monday night, regardless of whether he is deemed fit to resume competitive action by then, as he is set to serve the second game of a two-match suspension after collecting 10 domestic yellow cards.
The defender admits he did not want to sit out Switzerland's game against Denmark, however, and confirmed that FIFA protocols have ensured he does not take part on medical grounds.
“As you probably know, tomorrow I will not be allowed to play against Denmark," Schar wrote on his Instagram page on Monday, once it was confirmed he would not be permitted to take part in Switzerland's match.
“I really wanted to play and, as always, give everything to the team and Switzerland. But, unfortunately, this time the decision is not in my hands, but was imposed on me by FIFA for health reasons.
“In the game against Georgia, I was unconscious for a short time after a collision. Anyone who knows me knows how I feel and how much I would like to play.
“Of course I keep my fingers crossed for the team and I’m convinced that we will have a good game.”
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