Monday 8 January 2018 15:17, UK
Clermont Auvergne winger Samuel Ezeala was all smiles and gave the thumbs up from his hospital bed on Monday after recovering from being knocked unconscious against Racing 92.
The 18-year-old Spaniard was knocked unconscious during his debut on Sunday after a clash of heads with Racing's Fiji-born France international wing Virimi Vakatawa.
"Good news on Samuel Ezeala as the MRI scan showed nothing to worry about," said the club in a tweet on Monday that featured a picture of the smiling winger, before explaining that the player is due to remain in hospital close to Paris before returning to Clermont on Tuesday.
It was a miserable day all round for the injury-ravaged French champions, who shipped eight tries in a chastening 58-6 humbling at Racing's indoor U Arena ground.
Ezeala, who only turned 18 a month ago, ran out for a debut that lasted just under an hour before he suffered heavy contact to the head trying to tackle Vakatawa.
There was concern over the debutant who remained motionless on the ground for some time before he was carried from the pitch on a stretcher.
Clermont had picked an inexperienced team for the tie, particularly in the backline, in a bid to rest players ahead of this week's return to European Champions Cup duty.
The French side travel to Northampton on Saturday with a five-point lead at the top of Pool 2 knowing a victory would almost certainly book their place in the quarter-finals and ensure they finished the group stages ahead of reigning champions Saracens, whom they beat twice in December.
