Stanković took the towel handed to him by Dave Fevre and wiped his face, then pressed it against the wound. Accompanied by another physio, he walked toward the sideline, where Mourinho approached with a serious expression, wanting to check on his condition.
"Dejan, are you okay? Do you need to be substituted?"
To Mourinho's surprise, Stanković said solemnly, "Boss, I'm fine! I can continue playing!"
Mourinho knew this decision would be incredibly difficult. He didn't immediately respond, his gaze instead fixed on Dave Fevre.
The fans in the Villa Park stands were worried, fearing that Stanković might not be able to continue.
After Stanković left the field, the referee issued a yellow card to Southgate.
Evidently, Southgate's remorseful attitude and the Aston Villa players' initial reaction earned some leniency. Since the game had only been underway for a few minutes, Aston Villa losing a man would have greatly diminished the match's appeal from a viewing perspective.
