Muamba making 'encouraging progress'

Fabrice Muamba got out of bed for the first time this weekend as he continues to make encouraging progress in his recovery from a cardiac arrest. It is now nine days since the Bolton midfielder collapsed during the first-half of an FA Cup quarter-final at Tottenham Hotspur. And the latest update brought more positive news. "Fabrice Muamba remains in intensive care at The London Chest Hospital where his condition is serious but stable," said a statement released by Barts and The London NHS Trust and Bolton Wanderers Football Club. "He continues to make encouraging progress in his recovery. "Over the weekend, he has been able to sit out of bed for a short time, watch television and has begun to eat. However, he will need to continue to be closely monitored by the medical team at The London Chest for some time. "His family requests that he receive no more visitors for the moment, outside of immediate family and members of Bolton Wanderers Football Club." Team-mates Kevin Davies, Nigel Reo-Coker, Darren Pratley and Mark Davies all went to see Muamba last week and it is anticipated different players will visit soon. "The progress Fabrice has made in the space of eight or nine days has been truly remarkable," said Coyle. "A few of the lads went down to see him last week and there will probably be a small representation to go and see him before the game (tomorrow). Everyone would want to be there but that would be impossible and Fabrice's recovery is paramount. "The players who do go can filter back the news. That will help. Fabrice is not just a team-mate and a colleague. He is a dear friend to those lads. They want to know he is getting better." Confirmation Muamba has been out of bed and begun to eat again is the best news yet about his present condition. Earlier, Coyle had also been able to confirm the former England U-21 captain watched Bolton's weekend victory over Blackburn, and the accompanying tributes to him, on the Sunday morning screening of BBC highlights programme Match of the Day. "He was able to watch Match of the Day on Sunday morning," said Coyle. "I am led to believe he fell asleep when it was 2-0. I don't know if he still thinks we won 2-0 but it is so great to know that bit-by-bit he is getting better even if he still has a long way to go. "Over the last few days he has been able to take in more of the goodwill that globally he has been getting from people and the prayers and everything else. He wanted to thank everybody for that support. We have to make sure we continue that but he is on his way to recovery. God willing that continues."