Honduras footballer Elis remains in coma after head injury

Honduras striker Alberth Elis remained in an induced coma on Sunday after a serious head injury, with his French club Bordeaux saying it was "impossible" to comment on his vital signs.

Elis, 28, was knocked unconscious just 40 seconds into Saturday's Ligue 2 game against Guingamp when he met a cross and collided with the head of defender Donatien Gomis.

Although Gomis recovered quickly, Elis was treated for several minutes on the pitch before being evacuated to hospital where he underwent surgery on Saturday evening.

"Alberth Elis suffered a head trauma which led to him being placed in an induced coma," Bordeaux said in a statement.

"We will follow the evolution of his state of health in the hospital in the coming days.

"At this moment, it is still impossible to comment on Alberth's vital signs and functional prognosis."

They said they were setting up a psychological unit to support Elis's teammates and club staff "in these difficult times".

The Honduras national team posted a message of support for Elis, nicknamed "La Panterita" ("Little Panther"), on X.

"Courage and strength Alberth Elis... Panterita, you are a warrior who knows how to fight. Honduras is with you," it said.

Many players, including Kylian Mbappe, and French football clubs have also been flooding social networks with messages of support since Saturday evening.

FUERZAS ELIS

Elis' fellow Honduran Luis Palma peeled off his Celtic jersey after scoring the Scottish champions' third goal against Motherwell on Sunday to reveal an undershirt with the writing: "Fuerzas Elis" ("Have strength, Elis").

Elis made his name with Houston in the MLS before moving to Europe in 2020 when he joined Portuguese side Boavista. He moved to Bordeaux in 2021.

Since making his international