Updated: 12.57
FABRICE MUAMBA REMAINS ‘critically ill’ today.
The Bolton Wanderers midfielder continues to fight for his life, having suffered a cardiac arrest during an FA Cup quarter-final against Tottenham on Saturday evening.
“Fabrice Muamba’s heart condition is stable, but he remains critically ill in intensive care at the London Chest Hospital. The family is grateful to the media for continuing to respect their privacy at this time,” a joint statement, issued this morning, from Bolton, the hospital and the NHS Trust reads.
Bolton manager, Owen Coyle and club chairman Phil Gartside visited the hospital this morning
Former Ireland international, Coyle said the former England under-21 player is putting up a “brave fight,” adding that the club had been inundated with messages of support, including from David Beckham.
“There is a real hope he can come through this. When situations like this occur there is a real strength, a real unity, a real togetherness … that has given (the family) an incredible energy,” Coyle said outside the east London hospital. “That source of energy that everyone is giving off is really bringing them together as a family and that is important for Fabrice’s well being.”
Muamba, a former Arsenal and Birmingham player, fled to England with his family in 1999 to escape the civil war in Congo.
“When you look what he has come through in his life already he is a natural fighter. He is a physically fit young man,” Coyle said. “If those things can help at all it will be a source of help and encouragement.”
Bolton’s next match, at Aston Villa on Tuesday in the Premier League, has been postponed. The team is scheduled to play Blackburn on Saturday, and then could face Tottenham again next week in the FA Cup at White Hart Lane to replay the quarter-final match that was abandoned Saturday.
“I know the decision will have to be made, but the immediate thoughts are with Fabrice,” Bolton captain Kevin Davies said about the possibility of Bolton pulling out of the FA Cup. “I’m sure the club will take a stance on it in the next couple of days.”
Davies, who visited Muamba in the hospital over the weekend, said the Bolton squad had the option whether to attend training today.
At Tottenham, players were due to undergo tests for potential heart defects, with cardiologist Sanjay Sharma saying “the players have all demanded cardiac screening” at a planned routine visit Monday.
“That involves taking a history relating to cardiac symptoms, which include chest pain during exertion or breath which is disproportionate to the amount of exercise being performed and blackouts, (and) asking about a family history because many of these conditions that can cause cardiac arrest are hereditary,” Sharma said.
“We then perform a cardiac examination and following that we do an ECG (electrocardiogram) which is an electrical tracing of the heart which looks for electric faults of the heart and a cardiac ultrasound which looks at heart muscle problems or problems with the heart values.”
Hope
The player’s fiancee has urged fans to continue to pray for the 23-year-old. Shauna Muamba – who has a son Joshua with the former Arsenal man – took to her Twitter page to thank supporters for their messages.
She wrote: “Fabrice WILL!! Pull through because God is good. Love u so much fmuamba keep strong we’re praying for u honey xx.”
“God is in control. Please keep fmuamba in your prayers … Please keep praying for fmuamba, it’s really helping, I can feel it xx.”
Another post said: “For all your messages of love thank you so much. Where there is life there is hope xx.”
Chelsea goalscorer, Gary Cahill reveals a t-shirt with a message for former Bolton team-mate Muamba yesterday. Pic: Matt Dunham/AP/PA Images
The Congolese-born player's former boss Arsene Wenger meanwhile has added that all those at Arsenal are thinking of their one-time team-mate.
"This is of course a massive shock to us all and we just hope that Fabrice will pull through safely," the Frenchman said today. "You pray that the damage will be repaired and that Fabrice will come out healthy and we will see his smile again. That is all you wish for.
“We are all thinking of Fabrice, his family and everyone close to him.”
The Premier League agreed to Bolton's request for tomorrow's trip to Aston Villa to be postponed. Bolton's next scheduled game is a relegation showdown with Blackburn, at home on Saturday. No decision will be made until much later in the week about whether that match can proceed.
