Ajax player Nouri asleep in Austrian hospital

Ajax Amsterdam player Abdelhak Nouri is being kept asleep in a hospital in Innsbruck, Austria, after he suffered from cardiac arrhythmia during a pre-season friendly, his club announced.

"His heart is functioning normal and appears to be undamaged.

"It is, however, too soon to say anything about his recovery, as his brain function cannot be tested properly as long as he is kept asleep," Xinhua news agency quoted a statement fby Ajax as saying on Monday.

Nouri became unwell in the second half of the friendly match versus German side Werder Bremen in Zillertal, Austria, on Saturday.

After a successful reanimation on the pitch he was transported to the hospital. He remains in a stable condition on intensive care and is kept in a sleeping condition for optimal treatment. On Saturday itself, Ajax stated he is out of danger.

After the match the rest of the squad travelled back to Amsterdam and they had a training on Monday. Nouri's family travelled to Austria to stay with him in the hospital.

The 20-year-old Nouri played nine Dutch league games for Ajax last season and was part of the Ajax squad that reached the Europa League final last season. As one of the prospects of Dutch football, he is a regular in Dutch national youth squads.

--IANS

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