Jesse Derry suffers ugly head injury on first Chelsea start

Seth Vertelney, USA TODAY Mon, May 4, 2026 at 3:17 PM UTC

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Jesse Derry suffers ugly head injury on first Chelsea start

Chelsea forward Jesse Derry was removed on a stretcher after an awful clash of heads with Nottingham Forest defender Zach Abbott on Monday, May 4.

Derry was handed his Premier League debut in the match at Stamford Bridge, but his time on the field was cut short late in the first half.

The 18-year-old and Abbott were contesting an aerial ball in Forest's box and violently collided heads midair. Referee Anthony Taylor awarded Chelsea a penalty following the collision.

Derry was given oxygen on the pitch in a frightening scene, staying down for an extended period of time before he was removed from the pitch in the ninth minute of first-half stoppage time.

After a long delay, Cole Palmer saw his spot kick saved by Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels. The match went into halftime with Forest ahead 2-0 after goals from Taiwo Awoniyi and Igor Jesus.

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1 / 0Best Premier League action, scenes and drama from 2025-26 seasonDominic Calvert-Lewin of Leeds United misses a headed chance while under pressure from Leny Yoro of Manchester United at Old Trafford on April 13, 2026 in Manchester, England. Leeds United won the match, 2-1.Who is Jesse Derry?

Derry joined Chelsea from Crystal Palace last summer, and has made a big impression with the Blues' reserves this season.

The teenager has scored 11 goals across matches for Chelsea's U-21 side in the Premier League 2 as well as the U-19 side in the UEFA Youth League.

Derry is the son of Shaun Derry, who enjoyed a long career across the Premier League and Championship, representing a number of teams including Crystal Palace, Leeds and QPR.

Derry made his Chelsea first-team debut in an FA Cup match against Hull City in February.

The striker has represented England across various youth international levels, most recently playing for the U-19 team.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jesse Derry injury: Chelsea teenager stretchered off vs Nottingham Forest

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