Coyle: Muamba return would not surprise me

Muamba has made a miraculous recovery after being described by his club doctor as "in effect dead" for 78 minutes after collapsing on the pitch during his side's FA Cup quarter-final against Tottenham Hotspur on March 17.

The 24-year-old, who was discharged from hospital on Monday, needed 15 defibrillator shocks to restart his heart and is now resting back at home.

"Knowing Fabrice and how much of a battler he is, it wouldn't surprise me if he came back to play football one day," Coyle said on the club website.

"But, I've got to stress that right now he needs this time with his family.

"He'll continue to be monitored and we'll carry on hoping for continued improvement."

Muamba's left hospital days after Livorno's Piermario Morosini died after suffering a cardiac arrest during an Italian second division game at Pescara on Saturday.

Thousands of mourners lined the streets of Bergamo for the 25-year-old's funeral on Thursday.

"You only need to look at the tragic events that occurred last weekend in Italy to put things into perspective," Coyle added.

"The biggest thing right now is that he [Muamba] is able to go and have that family time with (his fiancee) Shauna and his young son Joshua."