Football Diary

by Patrick O'Connor

THE family of the Bolton player Fabrice Muamba have posted a picture of him on Twitter from his hospital room – a move which has provided comfort for the Aston Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov who has been diagnosed with acute leukaemia.

Speaking before Saturday's home game against Chelsea, Petrov said that he had taken strength from Muamba's recent battle with ill-health after the player suffered a cardiac arrest during the game at Tottenham.