"He is continuing to show signs of improvement this evening. He is currently able to breathe independently without the aid of a ventilator."

The statement added: "He has also been able to recognise family members and respond to questions appropriately.

"These are all positive signs of progress. However, his condition remains serious and our medical staff in intensive care will continue to monitor and treat him.

"His family and club would like to thank the media for continuing to respect their privacy at this time."

Muamba slumped onto the turf towards the end of the first half of an FA Cup quarter-final at Tottenham's White Hart Lane stadium in London on Saturday.

Millions of TV viewers saw medical staff attempting to resuscitate him on the pitch as players, who were visibly shaken, looked on before Muamba was stretchered off the field.

His manager at Premier League club Bolton, Owen Coyle, spoke of the midfielder's "brave fight" after visiting Muamba in hospital on Monday.

Coyle said the player's family appreciated the many messages of support they had received.

"They have been inundated as we all have, both in the football community globally and family and friends. People are taking a genuine interest and a real concern in how Fabrice is doing," he said.

The plight of the player born in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo has sparked a wave of support from his fellow players and football fans worldwide.

Teams led spectators in a minute's applause before matches on Sunday while his former Bolton teammate, Gary Cahill, unveiled a t-shirt reading "Pray 4 Muamba" after he scored for his new club Chelsea.

In Spain, Real Madrid players wore the message "Get well soon Muamba" on their shirts when they played Malaga on Sunday.

Muamba's fiancee, Shauna Muamba, the mother to their three-year-old son Joshua, urged fans in a Twitter message to keep praying for his recovery.

"God is in control," she said. "Please keep praying for afmuamba its really helping I can feel it".

Following Muamba's on-field collapse, referee Howard Webb took the players off the field and, with the agreement of both clubs, abandoned a tie where the score had stood at 1-1.

In the wake of the incident, Bolton have postponed their next match, a Premier League game away to Aston Villa due to take place on Tuesday.

But Bolton captain Kevin Davies said the prospect of fixture congestion was of no concern to him or his team-mates.

"Any of those questions are irrelevant at the minute," he said.

"The club will take a stance on it in the next couple of days. But at the minute we want to just try and help Fabrice."

Muamba was born in Kinshasa but came to England aged 11 to join up with his father, who had fled because he feared persecution.

As Muamba continued to fight for his life, Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp tried to rally his shocked players by offering them heart screening at the club's training ground on Monday.

Redknapp stressed his team were "keeping Fabrice at the forefront of our minds and willing him to make a recovery".

Muamba's collapse revived memories of Cameroon's Marc-Vivien Foe dying on the pitch from a heart-related problem during a Confederations Cup semi-final against Colombia in France in 2003.

Amanda Varnava, a consultant cardiologist at St Mary's Hospital in London, called on Britain to follow Italy's example and screen all young athletes for genetic heart problems.

"The Italians have dropped the incidence by 90 percent," she told The Times. "It would be a good idea here." (AFP)