Tottenham loanee Luka Vuskovic jumped to the aid of Eintracht Frankfurt wing-back Rasmus Kristensen during Saturday's 1-1 Bundesliga draw following a nasty collision with one of his team-mates
Tottenham defender Luka Vuskovic has received glowing praise from Hamburger SV's club doctor after he stepped in to prevent Eintracht Frankfurt's Rasmus Kristensen from swallowing his tongue.
The Dane, formerly of Leeds, was left dazed following a nasty clash with HSV's Miro Muheim. However, quick-thinking Vuskovic, who is still only 18 years old, was swift to react and immediately stepped in to assist Kristensen.
His actions have since been described by the Bundesliga on their website as 'potentially life-saving' and unsurprisingly, the young Croatian has been the subject of huge respect in Germany over the past couple of days.
HSV's team doctor Wolfgang Schillings has now revealed how decisive Vuskovic's actions were, explaining to local newspaper Hamburger Abendblatt: "In this case, Luka reacted immediately and took care of the injured player right away. That's exemplary and takes precedence over everything else.
“If a player briefly loses consciousness, the tongue can obstruct the upper airway. Then the player can't breathe. In this case, you have to act very quickly.
"Ideally, you tilt the head back. So, one hand on the forehead, one hand on the chin, and then carefully tilt the head back so that the tongue practically clears the airway on its own and the patient can breathe again.”
While Vuskovic showcased bravery to intervene, Schillings also added that a lot can actually go wrong with the manoeuvre, though HSV's players had been exposed to first-aid training at the beginning of the season.
He continued: "If a layperson reaches into the mouth to pull out the tongue with their fingers, the patient's biting reflex could be activated, and they could unconsciously bite their rescuer.
"The biting muscle is very strong. At the start of the season, we raise our players' awareness of first aid and give them some basic rules to follow."
Eintracht Frankfurt boss Dino Toppmoller also praised Vuskovic for his actions, stating: "A huge compliment for recognising it immediately and reacting so well."
Frankfurt have since confirmed that Kristensen is doing fine and recovering well after he was substituted off the field in the 71st minute.
Vuskovic has enjoyed a stellar loan stint with HSV since departing Tottenham in August to pursue regular playing time in the Bundesliga, where he has already scored two goals.
There is speculation in Germany that Hamburger SV would like to keep the centre-back, though there is recognition a deal would prove virtually impossible because Spurs have big plans for Vuskovic.
Another loan spell could be a viable option, providing Tottenham are willing to sanction another loan.