Gary Cahill went to visit Ryan Mason at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington last night after their accidental clash of heads left the Hull midfielder with a fractured skull.

The two players collided in the 12th minute of Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Hull yesterday and while Cahill was deemed fit to continue, Mason was carried off on a stretcher after a stoppage of more than eight minutes.

The Chelsea defender went to the hospital in west London shortly after the final whistle, along with Chelsea captain John Terry and assistant manager Steve Holland.

The Chelsea trio didn’t get to see Mason as he was still in surgery, but they spent time with Mason’s parents, who had attended the game at Stamford Bridge.

Cahill went on to play the full game and scored Chelsea’s second goal with nine minutes remaining.

There have been question marks in some quarters over why Cahill stayed on the pitch himself, especially after coach Antonio Conte admitted: “After the first half, it wasn’t really good with Gary, but we decided to continue with him.”

However, it is believed Conte was referring to the 31-year-old’s emotional state after having heard about the seriousness of Mason’s injury.

Unlike Mason, Cahill sat up after the collision in just over a minute, and was back on his feet walking to the touchline within two minutes.

He had been examined by two members of Chelsea’s medical team and was deemed fine to continue.

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Chelsea were criticised in 2014 when keeper Thibaut Courtois played on for 13 minutes after being looked at by then doctor Eva Carneiro, despite suffering a head injury in a collision with Arsenal striker Alexis Sanchez. He was then taken off and later diagnosed with concussion. FIFA medical chief Michel D’Hooghe said that Chelsea had acted correctly in dealing with Courtois.

New Premier League rules on head injuries were brought in at the start of the 2014-15 campaign, stating that any player suffering a head injury must leave the pitch and that the club doctor — not the team manager or coaches — must decide if the player is capable of continuing.

However, Chelsea insist that the correct medical procedures were adhered too in Cahill’s case and he was fit to continue the game. Cahill, along with the rest of the Chelsea players, has been given the day off today by Conte, which was already planned. The centre-half is understood to still be upset by what’s happened and the club will provide any support he requires to cope with the situation.

Speaking after the final whistle, Cahill said: “It was a massive impact. I wish him all the best and I hope there is no serious injury.”

In a statement last night Hull said: “The club can confirm that Ryan Mason sustained a skull fracture. Ryan is in a stable condition and is expected to remain in hospital for the next few days. Everyone at the club would like to express their thanks for the excellent and swift care given to Ryan by the Accident and Emergency department and Neurosurgery Unit.”