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MARVELOUS Nakamba and his Luton Town teammates returned to training yesterday for the first time since their captain, Tom Lockyer, collapsed on the pitch after suffering a cardiac arrest on Saturday.
It led to the abandonment of their Premiership match against Bournemouth, on the south coast, which is now set to be replayed in full.
The game was tied 1-1 at the time.
The Hatters confirmed their skipper was still undergoing tests in hospital with the club calling for the Welsh international’s privacy to be respected as he continues to recover from his on-field collapse.
It is the second time, in the space of six months, that Lockyer has been in hospital as he was diagnosed with an atrial fibrillation after collapsing during the Championship play-off final victory over Coventry City in May, undergoing surgery before being given the all-clear to return this season.
In June, Lockyer said: “I’ve had the operation to fix it and it shouldn’t happen again. There’s not really any reason to say why that happened.
“I’ve been given the all-clear — it is what it is and I just want to draw a line under it now and move on.”
A club statement said:
“While our captain Tom Lockyer remains in hospital following the cardiac arrest he suffered on the pitch at Bournemouth, we understand that supporters are concerned for him and that there is widespread media interest in his condition.
“Tom is still undergoing tests and scans, and is awaiting the results before the next steps for his recovery are determined.”
FOOTBALL’S SCARS AND
TRAGEDIES
Christian Eriksen June 2021
The midfielder collapsed during Denmark’s game against Finland at Euro 2020. The match continued and Eriksen returned to football with Brentford, and is now with Manchester United.
Fabrice Muamba March 2012
Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba collapsed during an FA Cup game against Spurs. His heart stopped beating for 78 minutes before he was resuscitated. He retired five months later aged 24.
Marc-Vivien Foe June 2003
The Cameroon midfielder collapsed and died during a Confederations Cup match against Colombia. The 28-year-old was taken off on a stretcher but attempts to restart his heart failed.
Cheick Tiote June 2017
Four months after leaving Newcastle, the midfielder suffered a cardiac arrest during a training session with Chinese League One side Beijing Enterprises. He died in hospital, aged 30.
Bafetimbi Gomis August 2020
The French striker has collapsed several times on the pitch due to a heart condition that causes him to faint. He did so at Swansea in 2015 and Galatasaray in 2018 before happening again with Al-Hilal in 2020.
Iker Casillas May 2019
The legendary goalkeeper suffered a heart attack in training with Porto and was taken to hospital and forced into retirement. Casillas suffered another scare two years later while playing padel tennis. – Sports Reporter/Luton Today/Mailonline
Bongani Ndlovu
Mathew Masinge