Bolton Wanderers manager Owen Coyle has hailed Fabrice Muamba as a "natural fighter".
The Scot visited his midfielder, who collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest in Saturday night's FA Cup tie at Tottenham Hotspur, at The London Chest Hospital on Monday.
"Fabrice is a natural fighter and very fit," Coyle said. "We hope that can help him. Today we wait and hope for improvement."
Muamba's heart stopped beating independently for two hours after he fell to the ground in the 41st minute of the 17:30 match. The game was subsequently abandoned, with both sets of players and supporters evidently distressed.
Coyle, who arrived at Bolton from Burnley in January 2010, accompanied Muamba to the north London hospital, and visited him on Sunday as well as today.
"It's more important than football when you're such a humble person like Fabrice," Coyle assured the waiting media. "It’s humbling to have this level of support. We’re hopeful of a positive outcome.
Owen Coyle addresses the media at The London Chest Hospital on Monday
"We are a family club, and Fabrice is part of this family. When you look at what he has come through his life already he is a natural fighter," he added.
Muamba grew up in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and witnessed the brutality of one of the bloodiest civil wars in history. He arrived in the UK when he was 11-years-old in December 1999.
Bolton were scheduled to play Aston Villa tomorrow night, but that match has been postponed after what happened to Muamba at White Hart Lane.
Club captain Kevin Davies stressed how unimportant football is to him and the club at this current time.
"Any of those questions are irrelevant at the minute," he said. "I have been speaking to the manager and I have travelled back with the chairman. He went back down to support Fabrice and his family.
"It was optional to come into training today and decisions will have to be made but my immediate thoughts are with Fabrice and his family.
"The club will take a stance on it in the next couple of days. But at the minute we want to just try and help Fabrice."