Star still critical after cardiac arrest

Paramedics could not get the 23-year-old’s heart to start beating unaided for almost two hours after he suffered a cardiac arrest during an FA Cup tie.

He fell to the ground at White Hart Lane at 6.11pm on Saturday, in front of millions of television viewers watching his club’s quarter final clash with Tottenham Hotspur. The game was abandoned.

Paramedics were unable to start his heart working by itself again before he reached the London Chest Hospital, in Bethnal Green, seven miles from the stadium, at 8pm. He remained in a critical condition last night, anaesthetised in an intensive care unit.

His manager, Owen Coyle, said after visiting him yesterday: “Everybody is praying for Fabrice, which is very important and that has been a real source of strength to the family.

“It’s great to be talented at football but it is more important to be a genuinely nice man and Fabrice is that.”

Club chairman Phil Gartside said: “The support that we had yesterday from Tottenham and our own fans was fantastic – the staff, the fans, the players and the officials at the game. We have had messages of support from around the world.”

Wanderers have postponed their next fixture, a Premier League game against Aston Villa, which was due to take place tomorrow evening.

There was applause for Muamba before several games yesterday, including Manchester United’s Premier League match at Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle’s game against Norwich.

And during Chelsea’s FA Cup quarter final victory over Leicester City, former Bolton player Gary Cahill lifted his shirt to reveal a “Pray for Muamba” T-shirt after he scored the London club’s first goal.