Diego Maradona is to have surgery on a blood clot on his brain, his doctor has said.
The 1986 World Cup winner with Argentina, 60, was admitted to hospital in Buenos Aires on Monday.
Leopoldo Luque, Maradona’s personal physician, said the surgery would take place later on Tuesday.
“He is lucid, he understands, he agrees with the intervention,” Luque told reporters.
Maradona, who played for the likes of Napoli, Barcelona and Boca Juniors before hanging up his boots in 1997, is set to remain in hospital for at least three days.
Luque was earlier quoted by Argentinian television’s ESPN F90 as saying: “I didn’t see him as I would like to see him.
“We need to be calm. This is not an emergency situation. Diego is well, but he could be better.
“You see some situations that make you believe that it is good to come to a clinic, to hydrate, draw blood.
“Let’s see how many days. Let’s see how much can be done. My idea is to have at least three days for him to hydrate well. It’s looking at what’s best for him. There is no emergency.
“I told him: ‘Diego, you come here’. He said no because he had to manage and I told him to come along so that later he would be able to play.
“I’ve seen Maradona when he’s bad. When he’s bad he does not accept help. Sometimes you have to push him a little more and this was one of those times.
“For now he is convinced. How am I going to bring him if not?
“Maradona is not well psychologically and, as with everyone, that affects him physically.”
‘This is the hardest Manchester derby to call in years – Manchester United shouldn’t be petrified, it feels like Manchester City aren’t in control of any game at the moment’ Former Red Devils striker thinks a surprise result could be possible
‘Thierry Henry was my hero, but when you talk about players who have a wand of a left foot, he genuinely had that. He made my life so much easier on the right’: Ex-Arsenal star omits Gunners legend from his Perfect XI
