John Terry was kicked in the head, knocked unconscious, and he swallowed his tongue.

He was still back at the Millennium Stadium to celebrate Chelsea's 2-1 win over Arsenal on Sunday in the League Cup final.

The Chelsea captain was accidentally kicked in the head by Arsenal defender Abou Diaby in the 58th minute after trying to score with a diving header.

He fell to the ground and swallowed his tongue, Chelsea medical officer Brian English said, and was unconscious for about a minute. The England captain was then put on a stretcher with an oxygen mask placed over his mouth and a brace around his head.

Play was halted for six minutes before Terry was carried off the field and the game resumed.

"As soon as JT went down I could see it in his face (that it was serious)," said Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard, who lifted the trophy in the absence of Terry.

English told Sky Sports News that Terry was later able to talk but could not remember anything about the incident. Terry had scans on his head and neck before being released from the hospital and returned to the stadium in his uniform but later changed into a suit and left on the team bus.

"Today is strange," said Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, who scored both goals. "We won and we're happy because we've got the cup but we are also scared because we didn't know what to expect when we saw JT on the floor. I think more about JT than the cup." 

Terry has had a series of injuries and was a doubtful starter for the first cup final of the English season. He recently recovered from back and calf muscle injuries that sidelined him for 13 games, and then went down with ankle ligament damage in Wednesday's 1-1 Champions League draw at FC Porto.

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech underwent surgery for a fractured skull after being hurt during a match.

"I think it's one of the worst moments I have experienced on the pitch because I can't remember my injury," Cech said. "But you saw the reaction of the players. For the first three or four minutes after the injury, I had other emotions. I hope he will be all right. I hope it's the last injury he has."

Cech was injured when his head collided with the knee of Reading midfielder Stephen Hunt at Madejski Stadium in a contest for the ball on October 14.

He was carried off the field and collapsed in the changing room. When Cech arrived at a hospital, it was discovered that he had fractured his skull. He returned to action last month.

(Xinhua News Agency via AP February 26, 2007)