In the 81st minute of Saturday's game, Van Bommel lunged into Aaron Bouwman's chest and head without making an effort to head the ball. Bouwman went down hard and stayed down in agony, while Ajax and PSV got engaged in a massive scuffle that resulted in four yellow cards.
Ajax revealed on Sunday that Bouwman had suffered a bruised lung and bruises to his sternum. The defender will stay in hospital until at least Sunday evening and is ruled out for the remainder of September.
Referee Sander van der Eijk left it at a yellow card for Ruben van Bommel, a decision which officiating chief Raymond van Meenen confirmed on Sunday was wrong.
"It’s not that complicated. Van Bommel goes into this aerial challenge with such force and speed that he poses a threat to his opponent’s safety. That warrants a red card. And it has nothing to do with an elbow or anything like that. In this case, his body is the ‘weapon’," Van Meenen told AD.
Ajax will play three games in the remainder of September, with Fortuna Sittard the last away game before hosting Excelsior and NEC.
