FC Barcelona has confirmed that striker Sergio Aguero will be out of action for at least three months as they try to determine the cause of the irregular heartbeat which saw him forced out of the 1-1 draw at home to Alaves on October 30.
Aguero suffered a dizzy spell during the game and had to lie on the pitch holding his chest as medical staff gave him treatment before leaving the pitch. The striker was taken to hospital, where he spent two nights.
"The first team player Sergio Aguero has been subjected to a diagnostic and therapeutic process by Dr Josep Brugada. He is unavailable for selection and during the next three months the effectiveness of treatment will be evaluated in order to determine his recovery process," reported the FC Barcelona website on Monday evening.
The news is a huge blow to the former Atletico Madrid player, who joined Barca on a free transfer from Manchester City during the summer and had recently made his first-team debut after missing the first 10 weeks of the campaign with a knee injury.
He has so far managed just 150 minutes of first-team action, scoring his first goal in Barca's 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid on October 24.
The world of football has become especially careful of possible cardiac problems, which was highlighted by the cardiac arrest suffered by Denmark international midfielder Christian Ericksen during this summer's European Championships.