Christian Atsu, a 31-year-old professional soccer player for Hatayspor and former Premier League player for Chelsea and Newcastle, has been rescued after being trapped in the aftermath of a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Turkey, reports say.
Atsu, although alive, has sustained injuries to his right foot and exhibited difficulty breathing and has been transported to a hospital for treatment.
The Turkish city of Hatay, where Atsu’s club is located, was one of the areas hardest hit by the disaster. Along with Atsu, the club’s sporting director, Taner Savut, and an interpreter were also trapped in the earthquake. There is yet to be news on their recovery.
A post on Newcastle’s Twitter account said: “Praying for some positive news, @ChristianAtsu20.” Atsu had just played a successful match, scoring the winning goal against Kasimpasa on Sunday.