A saliva test designed to diagnose concussion in footballers is set to be trialled in Engand's Premier League.
The study will be followed with interest globally, including in Australia where Will Pucovski appears unlikely to feature in the Ashes after the Victorian batter suffered the latest in a series of concussions.
The initiative is part of a joint action plan published by the English top flight, along with the Football Association, the EFL and the Professional Footballers' Association that sets out details of work being done to protect players from concussion and sub-concussive impacts, and to understand why there is an increased risk of neurodegenerative disease among professional footballers compared to the general population.
It is understood the trial could begin later this season with the first phase over three years.
Players will provide baseline swabs, then at three further time points after a concussive injury.
Comparative swabs will be taken from an uninjured player and another player who has suffered a musculoskeletal injury in the same match or training session.
It follows the publication of the SCRUM study findings in March, which showed a saliva biomarker tool was able to accurately detect concussion in elite male rugby players.
In addition, the FA is partnering with the Rugby Football Union and Premiership Rugby to expand the Advanced BRAIN Health Clinic to include retired footballers in 2022.
It will give the ex-players access to specialist clinical services in a bid to proactively manage their brain health after retirement.
The English game introduced new limits on higher-force headers in training for the professional and adult game at the start of this season.
These were informed partially by a mouthguard trial funded by the Premier League in the latter part of last season.
The plan also confirmed the extension of that trial into the current campaign.
In 2020 the FA published guidance on heading in under-18s football, while the FA, Premier League and EFL are all trialling additional permanent concussion substitutes in their competitions.
Australian Associated Press
