Former Arsenal Midfielder Fabrice Muamba Collapses During Match But Is In Stable Condition, Despite Being Critically Ill

As many of you undoubtedly know already, Bolton Wanderers midfielder and former Arsenal trainee Fabrice Muamba collapsed in the 40th minute of this afternoon's FA Cup quarter final between Tottenham Hotspur and Bolton. Muamba, 23, was immediately treated on pitch by the medical staff, and had a defibrillator and CPR treatment. Then match was then abandoned before he was rushed to the hospital, where he was eventually declared to be in a stable condition, according to the hospital. He was then later admitted to the London Chest Hospital, where a Bolton statement has said he is "critically ill" and in intensive care.

That's not particularly surprising; intensive care usually means that vital organs are being supported by machines, and given that he suffered an apparent heart attack or cardiac arrest, his heart should be supported.

It was a genuinely terrifying feeling seeing him lying on the pitch at White Hart Lane, and one cannot comprehend what his family must have gone, and are still going through. On the pitch, Muamba is a fierce competitor, drawing comparisons to Patrick Vieira while he was an Arsenal trainee. Off the pitch, he comes off as a very intelligent and thoughtful person, and mentored Jack Wilshere while Wilshere was at loan at Bolton in 2010. On the behalf of myself and everyone at The Short Fuse, I'd like to extend my best thoughts and wishes to Muamba and his family and hope that he's able to make a full recovery and play professional football again.

Finally, I'd like to credit the quick-thinking medical staff of both teams at White Hart Lane for saving Muamba's life, and referee Howard Webb who acted with coolness in his decision making throughout the whole situation.