Former Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva was pulled from training at current club Gremio after a potential heart issue was detected during routine screening.
The 35-year-old returned to his boyhood club in the summer, 15 years after leaving for Anfield as a 20-year-old back in 2007. 10 of those years were spent on Merseyside, where the combative midfielder racked up 346 appearances, winning the League Cup in 2012 and proving crucial in helping fellow Brazilians Phillipe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino settle into life at Liverpool.
Leiva completed a £5million move to Lazio in 2017, calling an end to a decade-long spell with the Reds. In an emotional open letter to fans upon confirmation of his departure, the midfielder described Liverpool as 'one of the greatest clubs in the world' but cited a lack of playing time as a deciding factor in his decision to leave.
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He spent five years in Italy before returning to Gremio in the summer, but on Tuesday the Brazil international tweeted a statement from the club confirming the discovery of what was described as an 'alteration of the cardiac rhythm', and the subsequent removal from training.
The statement read: "The Grêmio Medical Department communicates that the athlete Lucas Leiva presented, in the pre-season routine exams, a picture of alteration of the cardiac rhythm and, consequently, is removed from physical activities until the conclusion of complementary exams and treatment of the picture."
A firm favourite among all three of the clubs with whom he has played for, Leiva's message was met with scores of well-wishes coming from England, Italy, Brazil and beyond. The official Liverpool account tweeted him to say: "We’re all with you Lucas".
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