Luton to conduct medical review after Lockyer's second collapse in seven months

18 December 2023 , 08:02

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Luton to conduct medical review after Lockyer's second collapse in seven months

Luton Town will hold a full review into its medical procedures after skipper Tom Lockyer again collapsed during their game on Saturday.

The Hatters were drawing 1-1 at Bournemouth when 59 minutes in, Lockyer suffered a cardiac arrest. With players from both teams in agreement, the clash was duly called off to be replayed in full at a later date.

It's the second time this year that Welsh international Lockyer has had to leave the field in such harrowing circumstances. In the Championship play-off final in May, after starting the game he received emergency treatment for a heart condition and watched the culmination of his side's penalty shootout win over Coventry in hospital.

On Saturday, it was later confirmed that the 29-year-old was responsive after being stretchered off and again admitted to hospital. But according to the Daily Mail, Luton will now conduct a comprehensive review into their medial protocols.

A club source said: "This will be something we all look into more now. The physios, the club doctor, the specialists all did their work and worked with him in the summer and he was OK.

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"It's just getting through this one test at a time. Comparing it to the summer will be something that happens when we know what went on on Saturday."

Luton Town's Tom Lockyer receives treatment on the pitch at Bournemouth (PA Wire)

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After the play-off final at Wembley, specialists confirmed that Lockyer had suffered an atrial fibrillation of the heart, but after successful surgery was cleared to return to action. He's since played 15 times for his club in the Premier League, and regularly featured for Wales in their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.

Current top-flight regulations require players to undergo annual cardiac testing. Luton have not disclosed whether or not their club captain has gone through testing since May.

Premier League protocol dictates that the Bournemouth v Luton game will be replayed. Elijah Adebayo had given the visitors a third minute lead before Dominic Solanke levelled just a minute before Lockyer went down.

Fraser Watson