A friend of Fabrice Muamba has reportedly claimed that the Bolton Wanderers midfielder has been speaking.
The 23-year-old remains in a critical condition at the London Chest Hospital after he suffered a cardiac arrest during his side's away match against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening.
However, a statement released earlier today revealed that Muamba has been showing "small signs of improvement" over the past 24 hours.
In a further development this afternoon, a friend of Muamba's is believed to have told the Associated Press that he has been talking from his hospital bed.
The friend, Curtis Codrington, has claimed that Muamba spoke "minimal words in English and French".