South Korean defender Lee Seung-mo suffered a broken neck in a sickening fall.
The 20-year-old was playing for his club side, Gwangju FC, in a K-League play-offs clash with Daejeon Citizen when he challenged for a header and fell awkwardly.
Lee's body twisted at an unnatural angle and he lost consciousness after hitting the turf.
He was rushed to hospital, where it was discovered that he broke three vertebrae and fractured a finger.
오늘 K리그2 준플레이오프 경기에서 광주FC 이승모 선수가 상대 선수와 경합 중 불의의 부상으로 쓰러졌습니다.
주심과 선수들, 현장 의료진의 빠른 대처 덕에 이승모 선수는 대기하던 앰뷸런스를 타고 병원으로 곧바로 이송됐습니다.
현재는 다행히 의식을 회복했으며, 정밀 검사가 진행중입니다. pic.twitter.com/JOBRSgVm8B
— SPOTV (@Spotv_sports) November 28, 2018Thankfully, the South Korea Under-23 international will make a full recovery and is expected to return to action in around three months.
A statement from Gwangju FC read: "He only remembers going for the header and then he lost his memory until he arrived at the emergency room.
"He regained consciousness after arrival at the emergency room in Yuseong-Sun Hospital. He complained of pain in my left and my back.
"There was no abnormality in the CT scan, only three fractures of the cervical vertebrae.
"He was transferred to the hospital of Chosun University in Gwangju that night and interviewed with a neurosurgery attending physician.
"The left-hand finger fracture was confirmed.
"It will take two to three months to recover completely."
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Lee was part of South Korea's Under-23 side which won the Asian Games this summer, alongside Tottenham's Son Heung-min.
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