Sunderland manager David Moyes has revealed that he had to withdraw Patrick van Aanholt from his starting side just half an hour before their Premier League clash against Tottenham after being told that the player needed further tests on a possible heart condition.
Moyes has expressed his disappointment with the handling of the incident, but the English FA has denied suggestions that they were directly involved in the case.
He replaced the Dutch left-back with Jason Denayer just 15 minutes before kick-off.
"The FA panel of cardiologists looked at it and advised us really late on Sunday that he should not play until further tests had taken place," said Moyes.
"We are just surprised the FA panel didn't contact me or my doctor until 3.55pm on Sunday afternoon. I have never in my career been put in a situation like that. It was completely outside our control. We knew we had to make the correct decision for the player and for the football club."
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
