Ajax's Daley Blind Diagnosed with Heart Condition

Ajax defender Daley Blind has been diagnosed with a heart condition after complaining of dizziness during his side's UEFA Champions League match against Valencia on December 10.

Per BBC Sport, the former Manchester United man missed the next match before the diagnosis of heart muscle inflammation, which was announced on Saturday. He has been fitted with a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator, a device that uses electrical pulses to regulate his heart rhythm.

Blind took to social media to thank fans who had reached out with support and also said he feels good at the moment:

The 29-year-old played the full 90 minutes in the 1-0 loss to Valencia but performed well below his usual level, and he even went to ground untouched in the second half. He was sidelined for the marquee clash with AZ on Sunday that saw Ajax lose 1-0 to a late goal, after which manager Erik ten Hag played down the severity of Blind's condition:

Blind has been a key performer for Ajax since returning to Amsterdam from Manchester United in 2018. He was an automatic starter in last season's UEFA Champions League run to the semi-finals and has already made 16 Eredivisie starts this campaign at centre-back, left-back and in central midfield.

Ajax are in first place in the Eredivisie but are level on points with second-placed AZ after losing their last two matches. They face ADO Den Haag at home on Sunday.