Madrid, Jan 2 (DPA) Spanish giants Sevilla raised eyebrows by announcing that right-back Sergio Sanchez will not play again until “rigorous tests” have been carried out on his heart.
Sanchez, 23, first complained of hear pain Wednesday. Sevilla have sent him to a specialist in Barcelona to determine the nature and the extent of the problem.

On Friday, an official announcement from the club stated that Sanchez “is suffering from a cardiac pathology problem which demands the suspension of all physical activity for the time being.”

Sanchez joined Sevilla from Espanyol last July, and has been competing with Abdoulay for the right-back slot.

Sevilla have been very concerned about the possible heart problems of their players since left-back Antonio Puerta collapsed with a massive heart attack during a match in 2007 and died four days later, aged just 22.

Last August Espanyol captain Daniel Jarque, 26, died of a heart attack during pre-season training in Italy. Real Madrid midfielder Ruben de la Red, aged 24, has not played since collapsing on the field in October 2008.