Coyle: Too early to focus on relegation

Coyle: Too early to focus on relegation

Published Mar. 20, 2012 1:00 a.m. ET

Bolton manager Owen Coyle believes it is still too early to focus on his side's relegation battle despite the encouraging progress being made by Fabrice Muamba.

Coyle revealed on Tuesday he had enjoyed a "brief conversation" with the midfielder, who is still in intensive care at The London Chest Hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest in Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final against Tottenham.

But he was keen to stress the 23-year-old has a long way to go in his recovery and that Bolton's scheduled game with Blackburn on Saturday remains on the back burner.

"It's very early in the process, the doctors have stressed that so we all know what's involved," Coyle told reporters outside the hospital.

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"Fabrice still has a long way to go but it's encouraging signs and whilst that is the case it's really positive and we move forward from that point.

"I was fortunate to see him and had a brief conversation which will obviously remain between us. We have to understand it's early in his continued fight for improvement."

Coyle hailed the "remarkable work" being done by hospital staff and conceded he could "never have envisaged" Muamba making such improvement in such a short period of time.

But when asked if that meant he could now think of focusing on Saturday's game at the Reebok Stadium, Coyle added: "The answer to that is no, because that's not something of great importance to me at this moment in time.

"In the course of today, as we hope and pray that Fabrice continues to improve, that's something we will have to look at.

"My thoughts are that we will have the group back in training (on Wednesday) and we will look at it from then. The one concern we all have is for Fabrice only."

Asked if he was confident Muamba would make a full recovery, Coyle added: "That's something they (the doctors) have said has happened before.

"Every case is on its own merits, but we've said consistently the two things Fabrice has which can help him further is that he's such a fit young man and the life he's had he has had to fight and earn every step of the way.

"Those two things I am sure will stand him in good stead."

Muamba's family had earlier asked for visitors to stop heading to the hospital to allow Muamba to concentrate on his recovery.

"To ensure the smooth running of the hospital for all patients - as well as Fabrice's need to concentrate on his recovery - they would request that he receive no more visitors for the moment, outside of immediate family and members of Bolton Wanderers Football Club," said a joint statement released by his club and Barts and the London NHS Trust.

"Fabrice has had a comfortable night in the intensive care unit at The London Chest Hospital, where the medical team is continuing to monitor his progress."

Premier League chairman Richard Scudamore today promised a review into medical procedures at football grounds, but Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini does not believe what is currently in place is good enough.

"I was really worried on Sunday," Mancini said. "Today I have read he has improved and I am very happy for him and his family.

"But if you want to know my opinion, it is that here in England, where you have the best championship in the world and everything is fantastic, we need to improve the medical side for the players.

"We need to screen the players often, maybe two times a year and they have to be more accurate because they don't do this.

"When I saw our medical two years ago, I was really worried. I said we need to do them better.

"It is impossible that a young guy could die on the pitch because they didn't do a medical accurately.

"I want all the players, not just ours, to have more accurate medicals.

"And not once a year. Every six months. This is really important for the players because it is totally different today than it was 20 years ago. It is very important.

"What happened to Muamba and other players in the past can't happen again."

Improvements had already been made because when Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech suffered a fractured skull at Reading five and a half years ago, manager Jose Mourinho hit out at the delay in the Czech being transferred to hospital.

Chelsea made an official complaint that led to a Premier League and Football Association review, from which measures were introduced that included an ambulance being in place at stadia for the exclusive use of players and club doctors attending every game.

Meanwhile, Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has stressed any member of his squad "not in the right frame of mind to play" in the wake of Muamba's cardiac arrest will be allowed to sit out tomorrow's clash with Stoke.
 

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