Fabrice Muamba's heart stopped beating for 78 minutes and ''in effect, he was dead in that time,'' Bolton's team doctor said Wednesday.
The 23-year-old Bolton midfielder collapsed during an FA Cup match against Tottenham on Saturday after suffering from cardiac arrest. He was taken to London Chest Hospital and remains in intensive care.
Bolton's Premier League game at Aston Villa on Tuesday was postponed. On Wednesday, with Muamba's condition improving, the squad decided to go ahead with Saturday's match against Blackburn.
Bolton will also make a return to White Hart Lane on Tuesday to play Tottenham in the FA Cup quarterfinal match that was abandoned after Muamba collapsed just before halftime.
Medics tried unsuccessfully to revive Muamba for 48 minutes on Saturday before he arrived at the hospital, Bolton team doctor Jonathan Tobin said. It then took another 30 minutes, after 15 shocks from a defibrillator, before the player's heart started beating again.
''They were working on him without his heart having a muscular beat,'' Tobin said. ''(Seventy-eight minutes) without his heart beating and without him breathing. In effect, he was dead in that time ... throughout the whole resuscitation period you are worrying.
''You know the longer the resuscitation goes on the less chance there is of survival, but this is slightly different. This is a very fit 23-year-old.''
It took until Monday for the former England under-21 international to start breathing independently again and speaking.
Dr. Andrew Deaner, a cardiologist and Tottenham fan who was at the game Saturday, left his seat and rushed onto the pitch to help Muamba.
''If you're going to use the term 'miraculous,' I guess it could be used here,'' Deaner said. ''He has made a remarkable recovery so far.
''Two hours after (regaining consciousness) I whispered in his ear, 'What's your name?' and he said, 'Fabrice Muamba.' I said, 'I hear you're a really good footballer' and he said, 'I try.' I had a tear in my eye.''
The cause of Muamba's cardiac arrest is not yet known and it is too early to say if he will ever return to action.
''As things stand, his life is not in danger at this time,'' Deaner said. ''It is early days so it is not possible to say (if he will play again).''
Tobin added that the ''early signs of recovery have continued.''
''I went to see Fabrice last night,'' Tobin said Wednesday. ''He said, 'Hi, Doc.' I asked him how he was and he said, 'Fine.'''
The increasingly positive medical reports from London led to the Bolton team deciding it was the right time to return to playing football as they struggle to stay in the Premier League.
''We spoke together with the players as a group this morning and I talked with Fabrice's family last night,'' Bolton manager Owen Coyle said. ''Fabrice's father Marcel and his fiancee Shauna were keen that we fulfill our fixtures. Once the players knew this there was no doubt in our minds that we would play the matches.''
