Dries Mertens suffers concussion

The news is a mix of good and bad for Dries Mertens. The winger lost consciousness after being on the bad end of a violent collision with Wales player George Williams that saw him take a hard blow to the head and neck. Mertens was ultimately stretchered off with a neck brace on, and fears of a serious injury were raised.

Now, the Belgium football federation has announced that, after being taken to a local hospital for evaluation, Mertens has been diagnosed with a concussion. The attacker will remain in the hospital overnight for observation and further evaluation of his condition.

While a concussion is a very serious injury, it could have been far, far worse for Mertens. Given the nature of the hit he took, the potential for an injury to his neck was high. If he had, there could have been an impact not just on the next few weeks, but for his entire career.

Hopefully Mertens is able to make a quick and full recovery, and can make a return to Napoli soon. The more important part, though, is the "full recovery." Head injuries are no joke. We're just glad it wasn't something even more serious.