Muamba’s Bolton face Rovers after ‘surreal’ week

As England’s Premier League teams enter the “business end” of the football season, the emotion surrounding today’s match at the Reebok Stadium has been heightened by the fact that it is Bolton’s first since Muamba’s collapse at White Hart Lane.

The midfielder suffered heart failure during the first half of the FA Cup quarter-final. It transpired that his heart had stopped beating for a period, prompting Bolton team doctor Dr Jonathan Tobin to say that “in effect, he was dead” for 78 minutes.

‘It will be difficult’

Muamba remains in intensive care at the London Chest Hospital. But his recovery has been so remarkable that both clubs have been lifted ahead of today’s match.

Bolton Manager Owen Coyle, who remained in London to be with Muamba after the incident, admits that events of the past week have been “surreal” and says keeping emotions in check this afternoon will be difficult.

“No-one has said that they don’t want to play, but that may change in the next couple of days because it is going to be difficult,” said Coyle.

“I had a collective chat with the group and outlined everything that happened, so there was a clear picture.

“One or two asked questions, and if anyone feels it is too much for them, there would be no problem… We would do the right thing by them.”

Read more: How did Fabrice Muamba 'die' for 80 minutes?

‘Positive mindset’

Steve Kean, the Blackburn Rovers manager, admits that his side have also been affected last Saturday’s events and Muamba’s recovery.

“It’s always easier (to concentrate on the game) when the boy’s making progress,” he said. “If it had gone a negative way and we didn’t know whether the game was on and then, all of a sudden, it could have been on at the last minute, it might have been difficult.

“But the fact he’s getting stronger, hes communicating… then I think everybody goes into it in a positive mindset. It’s great that he’s getting there, and we need to get on with the game.”

Difficult run-in

Bolton and Blackburn face a battle against elimination from the Premier League in the season’s remaining nine games. Bolton are in the relegation zone, third from bottom with 23 points, while Blackburn are two places higher and have 28 points.

What is more, Blackburn have strung together their best sequence of results over the past six weeks, losing only one of their last five league games.

But Blackburn have the more difficult run-in – they must face Manchester United, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea between now and 13 May, while Bolton’s only game against a top five club is against Spurs.

So victory tomorrow will offer a vital boost to the winner’s ambitions to remain in the top flight. But the events of this week may help to put the result into proper perspective.