| Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba is critically ill after collapsing during an FA Cup quarter-final tie against Tottenham. The 23-year-old is being treated in the intensive care unit of the heart attack centre at the London Chest Hospital. Muamba is said to be showing "real fight" in his battle for life. Medics spent six minutes trying to resuscitate him on the field after he fell to the ground with no other players around him. The score was 1-1 when the match was abandoned after 41 minutes. "Bolton Wanderers can confirm that Fabrice Muamba has been admitted to The Heart Attack Centre at The London Chest Hospital where he is in a critically ill condition in intensive care," said a joint statement from Bolton and the hospital released at 2130 GMT on Saturday. "No further information will be issued at this stage. The club and hospital request that the media and public respect the family's privacy at this time." Medical staff gave the former England Under-21 international mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and tried to revive him with a defibrillator. In total six medics were treating the player, who joined Wanderers from Birmingham in 2008 and has made 148 appearances for the club. Both sets of supporters chanted Muamba's name as he was taken off the pitch on a stretcher. ESPN, who were broadcasting the match, reported that he was not breathing as he was taken into the tunnel. Referee Howard Webb called the visibly shaken players off the field after consulting with Bolton manager Owen Coyle and Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp. After Muamba was taken to hospital, the match was abandoned. The former Arsenal midfielder was accompanied in the ambulance by Coyle and club captain Kevin Davies. Football Focus presenter Dan Walker had an exchange of text messages with Davies on Saturday evening. "Encouragingly, he [Davies] said Fabrice is showing real fight which is the best possible news," Walker said. "Kevin says he is not giving up and he's digging in and showing a bit of battle. "The fact they got him breathing again makes you marvel at the work these paramedics, doctors and nurses do." Arsenal defender Johan Djourou, who played with Muamba at the Gunners, posted on Twitter that he had visited his friend in hospital. "Just left the hospital. Love you so much man! Keep fighting. Everybody please pray for him he's an amazing man and friend." BBC Radio 5 live's chief football reporter Ian Dennis, who was covering the game at White Hart Lane, witnessed medics rushing to aid Muamba. "When the medical staff arrived his face was on the turf," he said. "You could see them using a defibrillator and he was [electronically] charged on at least two occasions. Everyone could see Fabrice Muamba was fighting for his life. |
| paveldunghd-Shock as Bolton's Muamba collapses |
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