Two days after he collapsed during a match from cardiac arrest, Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba began showing signs of improvement Monday when his heart started beating without the help of medication.

The hospital emphasized that he remained in critical condition in intensive care with an uncertain long-term prognosis. A friend of Muamba said he was told by the family that the player had started talking again.

The 23-year-old Muamba collapsed on the field just before halftime in the FA Cup match at Tottenham on Saturday, and his heart started beating on its own again only when he arrived at a London hospital's heart attack unit that night.

A joint statement from Bolton and the hospital said: "His long-term prognosis will remain unclear for some time. He is still critically ill and will continue to be closely monitored and treated by staff in the London Chest Hospital's intensive care unit."