Harry Redknapp has called on the Premier League to consider temporary substitutions in a bid to improve concussion treatment.

The QPR boss was left frustrated after medics withdrew Sandro just 11 minutes into yesterday’s 2-1 defeat at Saints, only for the Brazil midfielder to be deemed "fine" at half-time.

Sandro suffered a heavy blow to the head and manager Redknapp admitted doctors must take no chances with such complex injuries.

Club doctors now have the final say over whether players who suffer head injuries are withdrawn, after widespread criticism last season when Spurs' Hugo Lloris returned to action despite being knocked unconscious.

The ex-Tottenham boss suggested football take a leaf out of rugby's book and implement short-term replacements, to allow extended assessment of head injuries.

"You couldn't wait 10 or 15 minutes with 10 men, you just couldn't do it," said Redknapp.

"So you couldn't give medics that amount of time to look at a player.

"But it doesn't sound the worst idea for a temporary replacement, so that the doctors could have a longer look at the player with the potential head injury.

"That is something worth looking at.

"Medical people have got to be so careful, they can't take a chance because if anything went wrong there would be massive trouble.

"If someone is very bad you cannot expect them to carry on because if something went wrong we would all be very sorry.

"At half-time there didn't seem to be a lot wrong with Sandro to me though.

"He was fine in the changing rooms, he didn't look too bad at all but obviously the doctors have got to err on the side of caution."

Graziano Pelle's scissor-kick volley trumped a fine blast on the spin from Charlie Austin to deny QPR any points on the south coast.

Former Saints boss Redknapp admitted Rangers are continuing to count the cost of losing Loic Remy to Chelsea in the final stages of the transfer window.

Redknapp believes QPR are missing "16 goals" after being unable to secure a replacement for France striker Remy, with a deal for Jermain Defoe falling through.

"Bobby (Zamora) was excellent when he came on, held up the ball well, but we are short and we don't have an awful lot of striking options," said Redknapp.

"We have lost 16 goals when Remy went.

"It is a problem: you look at last year and Charlie (Austin) got 17 goals and no one else got anywhere near."