Fabrice Muamba

[Buzzo]

Great news

Hope things keep improving for him.

[Phoenix07]

[wavydavy]

Is there no end to the bad news? #prayforowen

michael owen@themichaelowen

One of the worst things about being a footballer is being ill. I've got a sore throat and a bunged up nose but not allowed anything for it!

[Phoenix07]

Absolute bellend. Self-centred, pretentious piece of crap.

[Chazza]

Amazing job by the medical staff at WHL

Fabrice Muamba can recognise family, say hospital and Bolton

Fabrice Muamba "has been able to recognise family members and respond to questions appropriately", his club Bolton and hospital have jointly said.

He can "breathe independently" but remains in intensive care after a cardiac arrest on Saturday.

A joint statement by the London Chest Hospital and Bolton said he continues "to show signs of improvement".

It adds: "His condition remains serious and our medical staff will continue to monitor and treat him."

An earlier statement had said "he is also moving his arms and legs" but "his long-term prognosis will remain unclear for some time".

The 23-year-old former England youth player has been at the hospital's heart attack centre after suffering the cardiac arrest during Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final at White Hart Lane.

His fiancee, Shauna Magunda, the mother of his son Joshua, posted on Twitter on Monday evening: "All your prayers are working people thank you so so much. Every prayer makes him stronger."

A family friend, Curtis Codrington, also tweeted that Muamba was now "speaking and moving. I'm on route to see him".

Club chairman Phil Gartside and manager Owen Coyle visited the player on Monday morning.

In a statement placed on the club website, Gartside said: "The staff at the London Chest Hospital have been nothing short of exceptional and I would like to thank them all at this ongoing critical time.

"The support we had from Tottenham and our own fans was fantastic - the staff, the fans, the players and the officials at the game - it was unbelievable."

Manager Owen Coyle said: "Everybody is praying for Fabrice, which is very important and that has been a real source of strength to the family."

Meanwhile, Bolton captain Kevin Davies said that suggestions about the club withdrawing from the FA Cup because players were too upset to return to White Hart Lane were "irrelevant" as everybody was focused on Muamba's health.

Bolton's next Premier League game at Aston Villa on Tuesday has been postponed.

Blackburn Rovers manager Steve Kean also said the club would "do whatever we have to do", and would be happy for Saturday's scheduled Premier League match against Bolton to be called off.

Muamba was born in Zaire, now Democratic Republic of Congo, and moved to England aged 11 as a refugee.

DR Congo FA president Omari Selemani said the midfielder had the support of "65 million" Congolese.

"On the behalf of the Congolese FA, all the Congolese people and myself included, we express our sympathy to Fabrice Muamba."

In the past the player has rejected attempts by the Congolese FA to call him up, choosing instead to play for England at youth level.

Medics spent six minutes trying to resuscitate Muamba on the pitch after he fell to the ground with no other players around him.

The score was 1-1 when the quarter-final was abandoned after 41 minutes.

It took medical staff two hours to get Muamba breathing again, and they gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation as well as trying to revive him with a defibrillator.

In total, six medics treated 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.

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp said at the time: "All we are thinking about now is Fabrice and his family."

Referee Howard Webb called the visibly-shaken players off the field after consulting with Coyle and Redknapp and the game was abandoned.

The former Arsenal man was accompanied in the ambulance by Coyle and club captain Kevin Davies.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17419654

[Alex]

Fantastic news.

[Buzzo]

Is there no end to the bad news? #prayforowen

michael owen@themichaelowen

One of the worst things about being a footballer is being ill. I've got a sore throat and a bunged up nose but not allowed anything for it!

What a girl. Man up Michael.

[McDermotX]

Great news.

Is there no end to the bad news? #prayforowen

michael owen@themichaelowen

One of the worst things about being a footballer is being ill. I've got a sore throat and a bunged up nose but not allowed anything for it!

Also, great news.

[colin85]

Don't they wear heart rate monitors during matches? Maybe it should be made compulsary with each player being linked and monitored by the clubs physios/ team doctors. It would help put an end to what we witnessed at the weekend.

[Suarez]

Don't they wear heart rate monitors during matches? Maybe it should be made compulsary with each player being linked and monitored by the clubs physios/ team doctors. It would help put an end to what we witnessed at the weekend.

If theyre anything like the monitors ive had, the paramedics would be running back and fourth non stop due the frequent flatlines.

Just read that fabrice has actually spoken now, things are looking good.

[Fosterbloke]

Don't they wear heart rate monitors during matches? Maybe it should be made compulsary with each player being linked and monitored by the clubs physios/ team doctors. It would help put an end to what we witnessed at the weekend.

I think these situations are split into 'nothing they can do about it' (instant death) or 'need assistance within minutes' (Patrice Muamba). Fortunately it was the latter and as long as there are paramedics on scene within minutes then the latter will have a better chance of survival.

Not sure if Foe died instantly but ever way, heart rate monitors would not have pre-empted anything.

[Pablo]

Wow, fantastic news, the guy's a fighter

[Vermilion]

I always wonder about stuff like this and the reaction, it's odd how the public have made a connection to this lad, we see so many babies and kids in hospitals with horrendous life threatening wounds from conflicts around the world, yet it doesn't get the same amount of public reaction or sympathy.

Good to see he's coming on well.

[Kenneth]

personally, I have no more sympathy or empathy for him individually, but the circumstances are obviously shocking when it happens in the context of something so familiar. And I think I would feel the same way if someone I didn't really know suffered the same thing at my work etc, ie seeing it happen to a specific person makes it relevant to me and forces a reaction.

[Baracus]

I always wonder about stuff like this and the reaction, it's odd how the public have made a connection to this lad, we see so many babies and kids in hospitals with horrendous life threatening wounds from conflicts around the world, yet it doesn't get the same amount of public reaction or sympathy.

Good to see he's coming on well.

personally, I have no more sympathy or empathy for him individually, but the circumstances are obviously shocking when it happens in the context of something so familiar. And I think I would feel the same way if someone I didn't really know suffered the same thing at my work etc, ie seeing it happen to a specific person makes it relevant to me and forces a reaction.

I guess because it is something different to what we normally see on TV/Media. We have really become desensitised to War, Conflict, Famine etc. Reaction and Sympathy on such subjects are no more than passing comments IMO