GALATASARAY’s clash against Istanbulspor was temporarily halted after Ahmed Kutucu was knocked out during a clash with keeper Isa Dogan.
The Turkish giants welcomed the second division side in the Turkish Cup and secured a 3-1 win.
But there was huge concern for Kutucu and Dogan after they suffered a clash of heads during an aerial challenge midway through the match.
Television cameras quickly panned away from the scenes after the worrying situation became clear.
Both players were floored after the head clash, with Istanbulspor keeper Dogan covering his face.
But Galatasaray star Kutucu was left unconscious on the pitch, with his team-mates racing towards him to put him in the recovery position and stop him from swallowing his tongue.
Some players had their head in their hands as they urgently beckoned medics over.
The medical teams rushed onto the field of play to treat both players and Kutucu eventually regained consciousness.
An ambulance also appeared on the pitch to take both players off the pitch.
Dogan suffered a broken cheekbone and was taken to hospital for further treatment.
Dogan was subbed off for Mucahit Serbest, while Kutucu was replaced by Ismail Jakobs.
Galatasaray boss Buruk sent his support to both players after the “unfortunate” incident.
He said: “It was an unfortunate collision. I wish them both a speedy recovery.
“Ahmed is fine. Isa appeared to have a fracture. I wish him a speedy recovery as well. We are thankful there were no serious injuries.”
Meanwhile, Istanbulspor released a statement about Dogan’s condition.
They uploaded a picture of Dogan on Instagram and said: “We wish a speedy recovery to our goalkeeper Isa Dogan who had to leave the game after the collision that happened with Galatasaray.”
Kutucu shared the post but did not comment further on his own scare.
The forward has been with Galatasaray for the last year after joining from Turkish side Eyupspor.
The Turkey international started his career with German side Schalke before joining Istanbul Basaksehir in 2021.
