Diego Maradona had successful surgery on a subdural hematoma on November 3; it was hoped he would be discharged on Friday but the Argentina legend was kept in hospital over the weekend after suffering from withdrawal symptoms caused by alcohol dependency, his doctor Leopoldo Luque said
Tuesday 10 November 2020 07:42, UK
Diego Maradona is recovering well from brain surgery and is likely to be discharged from hospital "tomorrow or the next day", the Argentina legend's doctor said on Monday.
Dr Leopoldo Luque, who is also Maradona's neurosurgeon, is hopeful the former Barcelona, Napoli and Boca Juniors player will be discharged in the coming days after having successful surgery on a subdural hematoma - an accumulation of blood between a membrane and his brain.
"Diego wants to go home and we are evaluating his discharge," said Luque.
"We'll talk about where he goes later but for now we know that Diego is doing very well."
Maradona, widely considered to be one of the greatest players of all time, was initially admitted to the Ipensa Clinic in La Plata, Argentina on November 2, suffering from anaemia and dehydration.
He was later transferred to the Olivos Clinic in Buenos Aries to undergo surgery the following day.
Luque confirmed Maradona had sustained "no neurological damage" during the operation and said he was was "amazed by his recovery".
It was hoped Maradona would be released from hospital last Friday but he was kept in over the weekend after suffering from withdrawal symptoms caused by alcohol dependency.
The 1986 World Cup winner has experienced frequent periods in hospital over the years, often due to the lifestyle that accompanied and followed his playing career.
He was taken into hospital in 2004 with severe heart and respiratory problems linked to cocaine use.
Maradona later underwent a stomach-stapling operation in 2005 that helped him lose weight.
In 2007, he checked himself into a clinic in Buenos Aires to help him overcome alcohol abuse problems.
He also fell ill at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where he was filmed passing out in an executive box at the Argentina-Nigeria game, and was admitted to hospital in January 2019 with internal bleeding in the stomach.