AUBAMEYANG HOSPITALISED WITH MALARIA

PIERRE-EMERICK Aubameyang has revealed he is in hospital after contracting killer disease malaria. The Arsenal captain, 31, took to Instagram last night to explain his recent absence from Mikel Arteta’s side. He contracted the condition while on international duty last month with Gabon. Despite feeling the effects of the energy-sapping disease, Aubameyang still managed to play 77 minutes in the defeat by Liverpool and came off the bench in the first leg of Arsenal’s Europa League tie against Slavia Prague last week, setting up Nicolas Pepe’s opening goal.

But Aubameyang had to be left out of Arsenal’s 3-0 win at Sheffield United on Sunday. The striker has spent the last three days in hospital, where tests revealed he had malaria. Aubameyang (right) told his 10 million followers: ‘Unfortunately I contracted malaria whilst being on national team duty in Gabon a few weeks ago. I’ve spent a few days in hospital this week but I’m already feeling much better every day, thanks to the great doctors that detected and treated the virus so quickly. ‘I wasn’t feeling myself the last couple of weeks but will be back stronger than ever soon! Will be watching my boys now, huge game for us! Let’s go and get it Arsenal.’ Aubameyang started to feel under the weather after his return from international duty. It was only when his condition worsened to the point he had to be taken to hospital that he discovered the full extent of his illness.

Aubameyang’s natural fitness levels are believed to have helped him fend off the full effects of the condition — which normally wipes out most sufferers — for as long as he did. Malaria, transmitted by infected mosquitos, is the biggest killer disease in human history. Every year between 300 and 500 million people are infected across the world, resulting in around one million deaths. Symptoms include fever and an illness that feels to sufferers like flu as it can result in chills, head and muscle ache, tiredness and also seizures.