Coates stepped in with emergency aid to clear his airway and allow him to breathe during a dramatic incident in Sporting’s game at Portimonense.
The keeper was injured as he attempted to save Portimonense’s second goal just before the interval. As Sporting’s physios raced onto the pitch, Coates opened Salin’s mouth and placed his fingers inside, ensuring that there was no blockage and that breathing was possible.
In a clip captured by TV coverage of the game and shared widely on social media, the 28-year-old is seen frantically gesturing to the bench for medical help, which soon arrives.
Coates, who joined Sporting on loan from Liverpool in 2016 before making a permanent move twelve months later, went on to score but could not prevent a 4-2 defeat.
The defender, capped thirty-one times by Uruguay, spent three years at Anfield, which included time spent on loan at Sunderland.