Premier League makes decision on abandoned Bournemouth vs Luton fixture after Tom Lockyer collapse
With the Luton Town defender in a stable condition after collapsing on the pitch, the Premier League has confirmed the match will be replayed in full later in the season
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Your support makes all the difference.Bournemouth’s home fixture against Luton Town in the Premier League will be replayed in full after it was abandoned on Saturday when Luton defender Tom Lockyer collapsed during the second half.
Lockyer was rushed to hospital after collapsing in the centre circle – in a frightening incident that came just months after something similar had happened to him during last season’s Championship play-off final.
The 29-year-old was attended to by paramedics and staff before he was removed from the field of play on a stretcher surrounded by Luton’s medical team.
A Luton statement later confirmed the defender was in a stable condition and on Sunday the club said that he was awaiting test and scan results to determine the next steps.
The match was abandoned when the score was 1-1 and with the clock paused at 59 minutes, but the Premier League has now confirmed it will be replayed in full following talks between both clubs.
A statement read: “The game will be rescheduled for later in the season, with a date to be confirmed following consultation with relevant parties.
“The decision to abandon the match in the 59th minute was made collectively between the match officials, players, managers from both clubs and the Premier League.
“The league would like to thank the medical staff and all those involved for their swift actions in responding to what was an extremely upsetting situation for everyone. We wish Tom a continued recovery and our thoughts are with him, his family and all those at Luton Town FC.”
At the time of Lockyer’s collapse, the score was 1-1. Luton had taken an early lead through Elijah Adebayo but in-form Bournemouth equalised on 58 minutes as Dominic Solanke found the net.
Solanke is one of the top-scorers in the Premier League this year but what was his 10th goal of the campaign will now obviously not be counted in his tally for the season.
The Premier League did not say when the match would be rescheduled but there are a few possible free midweeks where the match could slide in as neither Luton nor Bournemouth are involved in European competition this season.
The midweek of January 9-10 is currently free for both sides, as they won’t have a Carabao Cup semi-final to worry about, as is the January 16-17 midweek – providing neither team needs an FA Cup third-round replay. The January 23-24 midweek is also free, as are most midweeks in February or – if both sides crash out in the FA Cup third round – then the fourth-round weekend of January 27-28 would also be freed up, although we won’t know if that’s the case until they have played their third-round fixtures on the first weekend in January.
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