Adam Smith suffers suspected concussion after colliding with Bournemouth teammate Tyler Adams

BOURNEMOUTH, England (AP) — Bournemouth defender Adam Smith suffered a suspected concussion after colliding with teammate Tyler Adams on Sunday during a Premier League game.

Smith and Adams clashed early in the match against Aston Villa and both players required medical treatment during a lengthy delay at Villa Park.

Smith had to be substituted, while United States international Adams was able to continue in Bournemouth's 4-0 defeat.

“Now he looks okay, he’s fine and he remembers everything. But in the moment I think it was a very hard knock,” Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola was quoted as saying by the Daily Echo. “And the doctor straight away, it was bleeding a lot. But it was not about the blood, it was about the concussion and it was obviously the decision to make to sub him."

It was a second loss in a row for Bournemouth, which was up to second in the standings earlier this season.

But Iraola refused to blame the injury to Smith for the latest defeat, saying "we had to make a sub, but we cannot use this as an excuse. They were much better than us, more aggressive, pressing us well and deservedly went 2-0 up at halftime.”

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