Fabrice is fighting, says Bolton captain Davies as star remains in 'critical' condition in hospital after heart attack
Muamba continues to fight for his life in London hospital after collapse
We're not even thinking about when our next game will be, reveals skipper
Coyle and Gartside make another visit to the bedside of midfielder
Bolton chiefs consider pulling out of FA Cup to avoid return to Tottenham
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UPDATED:
11:22 GMT, 19 March 2012
Bolton skipper Kevin Davies says Fabrice Muamba is a 'fighter' as his team-mate remains in intensive care after his heart attack at Tottenham.
Davies spoke this morning as the world of football comes together to support the player and his family as he battles for his life. The midfielder remains on a life support machine.
Bolton manager Owen Coyle and chairman Phil Gartside were back at the London Chest Hospital on Monday as the player's fiancee called on fans to pray for the star.
Davies said: 'Fabrice is fighting and we are all hoping he will pull through. I spoke to the manager and the doctor this morning and his condition remains criticial. I have been speaking to the manager and I have travelled back with the chairman. He went back down to support Fabrice and his family.
'It was optional to come into training today and decisions will have to be made but my immediate thoughts are with Fabrice and his family. The club will take a stance on (the next game) in the next couple of days. But at the minute we want to just try and help Fabrice.'
Visit: Bolton manager Owen Coyle was back with Muamba at hospital this morning
Support: Bolton chairman Phil Gartside (right) arrives with club doctor Jonathan Tobin
Couple: Fabrice with partner Shauna
Davies was on the pitch when Muamba
collapsed in the FA Cup quarter-final at White Hart Lane and added: 'It
became very serious within just a few seconds. We all knew there was
something seriously wrong. You feel powerless – he's a colleague, a friend, a father and a son.'
Davies went to hospital with Muamba on Saturday night and marvelled at the work of medical staff.
'The amount of people who were
turning up, running around trying to get Fabrice sorted out was
amazing,' he said. 'There is no doubt in my mind if it wasn't down to
all those people, we wouldn't even be in this situation. We are all
thankful to them that they have given Fabrice a bit of hope.'
Davies has also been touched by the
overwhelming support for Muamba from across the footballing world. Fans
of both sides applauded the 23-year-old off the pitch on Saturday and
supporters at other matches since have offered their own backing with a
minute's applause.
Numerous scarves and other tributes from competing clubs have been left at the Reebok Stadium.
Davies is thankful for all of these. But there is a part of him that feels quite saddened.
'It is the first time in my nearly 19 years in the game that I have seen a stadium unite,' he said.
'It was touching but I was laying in bed thinking how sad it was as well.
'As professionals, we put a lot of
hours in. We work hard and make a lot of sacrifices. But it seems that
that the only way you are going to get a ripple of applause away from
your own ground is to get carried off on a stretcher.
'That is a sad state of affairs. Fans
are quick to get off their seats if there is a mis-timed tackle. Maybe
people have to ask why Fabrice Muamba runs 80 yards to put a last-ditch
tackle in.
'It is not because he has anything
against your team. It is because he is working hard for his own. If
there is anything positive to come out of this, when you see supporters
from all over, it would be nice if the fans could unite.'
Tribute: Some of Real Madrid's players wore shirts in support of Muamba on Sunday night
On Monday morning, a joint statement
from Bolton, Barts and The NHS Trust read: '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.'
The football world has united in support for Muamba – and his 27-year-old partner
Shauna, who runs a successful Caribbean food catering business and got
engaged to the footballer on Valentine’s Day, took to Twitter to write:
'2 everyone out there thank u so much for all the love and support
collectively as a family we appreciate it all. Plz continue 2 pray 4 fab
x.
'Fabrice WILL!! Pull through because God is good. Love u so much @fmuamba keep strong we're praying for u honey xx.
'Please keep praying for @fmuamba its really helping I can feel it xx. God is in control. Please keep @fmuamba in ur prayers xx.'
Saturday's match against Tottenham was quickly abandoned after the horrific moment when Muamba fell to the turf with no-one close to him.
Bolton may now withdraw from the FA Cup to avoid a harrowing return to Tottenham in a rescheduled match.
If the rescheduled game is axed,
Tottenham would go into a semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley. Bolton
would not be penalised if they decide to withdraw.
Pray for Muamba: Gary Cahill celebrates his goal with a message for his former Bolton team-mate
Respect: Manchester United players took part in a 30-second applause ahead of their match against Wolves at Molineux
A source close to Bolton told the
Daily Mirror: 'This is a group of young men, just kids really. How could
they cope with going back to Spurs and going through it all again'
Bolton’s
next match is the relegation six-pointer against Lancashire rivals
Blackburn this Saturday, although it may also be under threat.
Gary Cahill, his former teammate,
wore a message on his T-shirt that said: ‘Pray 4 Muamba’ as he scored
for Chelsea in the FA Cup win over Leicester on Sunday.
He
was joined by Liverpool striker Luis Suarez, who wrote on Twitter: ‘I
want to dedicate (the goal) to Muamba. Keep fighting buddy, don’t give
up.’
Manchester United’s players led a round
of applause for the stricken player before their 5-0 win at Wolves,
while Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe and his mother visited Muamba and
his family in hospital.
As the 23-year-old spent a second night on life support, Bolton plan for
all their players to have further heart screenings and ECGs on Monday.
Applause: John Terry and Frank Lampard lead Chelsea's support for Muamba
Vigil: Jermain Defoe and his mother Sandra visited Muamba at the hospital in east London
FADIGA ALSO SUFFERED BOLTON HEART COLLAPSE AGAINST SPURS
Fabrice Muamba was not the first Bolton player to collapse on the pitch. Khalilou Fadiga was struck down before Bolton's Carling Cup tie against Tottenham at the Reebok Stadium in 2004.
The Sengalese player had to be fitted with a pacemaker following his ordeal but managed to make a return to the game in 2005, playing five more games for the club before joining Coventry.
It was already known by Bolton that Fadiga had a heart defect when they signed him from Inter Milan in 2004 after the condition restricted him from playing for the Italian giants.
But the 37-year-old managed to keep on playing until last year when in retired at Belgium third division outfit KSV Temse.
Muamba had heart tests along with his team-mates at the start of the
season, but they did not flag up any problems for the athletic
midfielder.
Bolton’s Barclays Premier League fixture at Aston Villa on Tuesday has
been postponed and Spurs could yet cancel their clash against Stoke on Wednesday night.
Tottenham will have trained counsellors at their Spurs
Lodge training ground on Tuesday to help players affected.
Their
goalkeeper, Brad Friedel, pulled out of appearing on Match of the Day 2
on Sunday night.
After scoring and revealing his personal message to Muamba, Cahill – who
played with the midfielder at Bolton – said: ‘The game was a bit of a
blur for me after having seen what happened yesterday.
'I just hope he is
OK. My mind was in a different place today.’
A round of applause echoed around Stamford Bridge ahead of Sunday’s
game, while Liverpool offered their thoughts and prayers for Muamba
during the pre-match handshake.
Shock: Owen Coyle and players from both sides show their concern for Fabrice Muamba
Liverpool fans in the Kop display their get well messages before the club's FA Cup tie against Stoke
Get well soon: Bolton fans have shown their support outside the club's Reebok Stadium home
Supporters at the matches at Wolves, Newcastle and Cardiff also paid tribute to the ex-England Under 21 midfielder.
And in Spain, Real Madrid players wore T-shirts before their game against Malaga with messages of support for Muamba.
Tottenham striker Defoe – who was visibly traumatised by the incident –
visited Muamba yon Sunday and a number of his Bolton team-mates also
wish to return to London to be close to their friend and colleague.
It was claimed on Sunday night that the supporter who jumped on to the
pitch just moments after Muamba collapsed was a heart specialist who
advised the medical staff to take the player to the London Chest
Hospital rather than the closer North Middlesex Hospital.
Shrine: Well wishers have flocked to the Reebok Stadium to leave get well messages for Muamba
Well-wishers: Bolton fans have been leaving shirts and scarves outside the stadium to show their support
Critical condition: The London Chest Hospital, who released a joint statement with Bolton Wanderers FC (below), in east London where Muamba remains under care
And it is understood the fan’s intervention played a key role in
ensuring Muamba had the best possible chance of surviving the ordeal.
Referee Howard Webb abandoned the match as medics tried to revive the
player, whose heart stopped beating by itself for two hours.
A Bolton statement read on Sunday: ‘Fabrice Muamba remains in a critical
condition in intensive care in the heart attack centre at the London
Chest Hospital.
‘Fabrice was admitted to the hospital on Saturday evening after
collapsing at White Hart Lane, where he sustained a cardiac arrest.
‘Fabrice received prolonged resuscitation at the ground and on route to
the London Chest Hospital, where his heart eventually started working.
Horror: Benoit Assou-Ekotto, William Gallas, Carlo Cudicini and Coyle look on
‘As is normal medical practice, Fabrice remains anaesthetised in intensive care and will be for at least 24 hours.’
Manager Owen Coyle added: ‘Fabrice’s family have asked me to pass on
their thanks for the many, many kind messages of support from not only
Bolton fans but also fans from clubs across the country and abroad.’
Saturday’s events bear a chilling similarity to former Manchester City
midfielder Marc Vivien Foe’s death in 2003, when he collapsed while
playing for Cameroon against Colombia.
In action: Muamba (left) completes with Rafael van der Vaart at White Hart Lane
Message of support: A host of stars are praying Muamba makes a recovery after posting messages on Twitter
It brought back painful memories for ESPN pundit Kevin Keegan, who was
Foe’s City manager at the time of his death. ‘Although every case is
different, there were horrible similarities with what happened to Marc,’
he said.
‘There was no way the game could continue here – you could see, from the
distress of players on both sides, that you can’t play football after
something so traumatic.’
Quick to react: With Muamba floored, referee Howard Webb immediately called on medical staff
Comfort: Gareth Bale gives Jermain Defoe – a close friend of Muamba's – a show of support
Stunned spectators: White Hart Lane emptied in silence
Stunned: Van der Vaart is lost in prayer
Anguish: Tuncay Sanli prays on the pitch for his team-mate as Tottenham's Luka Modric looks on
