New England Revolution coach Bruce Arena provides update on Matt Polster after scary head injury

Matt Polster helped off injured at D.C. United

Matt Polster was alert and “seems OK now,” New England Revolution coach Bruce Arena said after the midfielder was helped off the field following a head injury late in the first half of a 2-0 win over D.C. United Sunday.


Polster suffered the injury when he was caught by Yordy Reyna’s trailing foot on an attempted sliding tackle to break up a D.C. counter attack. The New England medical staff raced onto the field to tend to Polster, joined shortly after by Arena. Polster walked off moments later with assistance.


“I saw Matt a few minutes ago. He’s recovered in the sense that he’s got all his faculties, I guess,” Arena said after the game. “I don’t know what the doctors have concluded – what kind of head injury it might have been – but he’s got all his senses back. He seems OK now. I’m waiting to hear back. I’m sure we’re going to have a neurologist check him out when we get back to Boston, but he seems to be doing fine now.”


Matt Polster suffers head injury vs. D.C. United

Polster has started seven matches for the Revs in his return to Major League Soccer following a transfer from Rangers in Scotland on July 8.


Arena also provided an update on injured defender Alexander Büttner, who missed the match after limping off the field in the first half of a 3-1 win over the Montreal Impact Wednesday at Gillette Stadium.


“Büttner strained a hamstring,” Arena said.