Argentina and football great Diego Maradona has been admitted to a hospital due to undisclosed ‘health problems.’ Maradona, who recently celebrated his 60th birthday, was taken to the Ipensa clinic in La Plata about an hour from Buenos Aires. His doctor told the local media it wasn’t anything serious neither was it related to COVID-19. Maradona “needed to stay hydrated, get some blood tests and studies,” said his personal doctor Leopoldo Luque. Zlatan Ibrahimovic Drops Major Hint Regarding Sweden Return With Cryptic Tweet.

Maradona, World Cup winner with Argentina in 1986, was last seen in public on his birthday. He coaches a local club Gimnasia y Esgrima. He was presented with a commemorative plaque and cake by the club to celebrate his birthday before their match against Patronato. But Maradona did not stay back to watch the game with reports stating he looked unwell and sick. His side went on to win the game 3-0. Barcelona Face Bankruptcy if Players Reject Another Wage Cut As Coronavirus Pandemic Takes Toll on Catalan Giants.

His personal doctor stated there was ‘no emergency’ and that Maradona can leave whenever ‘he wants.’ "My idea is to have him at least three days to check on him and keep him under control," Luque was quoted as saying by ESPN. "Maradona is psychologically ill and that can affect your physical health."

“He’s not as well as I would like and as well as I know he can be. He needs help, this is the time to help him. Diego is a person who is sometimes excellent and sometimes not so much,” Luque added. “He could be 10 thousand times better. And bringing him here helps him. It’s very difficult being Maradona.”

The doctor, however, did not give specific details of Maradona’s ailment but ruled out any link of the sickness to Coronavirus pandemic, which has run ravage in the South American country keeping most areas under confinement. Maradona, who has a history of drugs, alcohol abuse and poor health, is considered at high risk of COVID-19 complications if he is infected.

The 60-year-old had sat out of Gimnasia’s initial training session post the COVID-19 halt as a precaution to avoid coming into contact with COVID-19 positive person and risk becoming infected. He has struggled with health issues since his playing days and was hospitalised with internal bleeding in the stomach in 2019. Maradona also fell ill at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia while watching Argentina vs Nigeria match.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 03, 2020 09:59 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).