AC MILAN star Antonio Cassano will have to undergo heart surgery after falling ill last weekend.
Cassano, 29, was taken to hospital shortly after his side's 3-2 win at Roma on Saturday.
The Italy international was said to have suffered impaired vision and had problems talking and moving.
A statement from the Italian champions read: "The player will undergo a small surgical cardiological intervention in the coming days and the recovery time will be better defined after the surgery, but it will probably be a few months."
The incident caused Cassano to suffer insufficient blood flow to the brain, causing "ischemic cerebral damage" but no lasting damage has been detected.
His Milan team-mates unveiled a shirt bearing his name after scoring in Tuesday's 1-1 draw at BATE Borisov which secured the Italians' place in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, chief executive Adriano Galliani and coach Massimiliano Allegri all visited Cassano at the Policlinico di Milano where he was being treated on Wednesday.
Galliani said: "Antonio is in a good condition, the lad is fine but I'm not a doctor.
"I was very, very worried. His career is not at risk. The doctors say he will need a few months, not too many.
"I don't want to say too much at this stage, maybe in four, five or six months he will be in conditions to play.
"He has told me that he's upset because he had been playing well."
Cassano recently stated football has left him exhausted and revealed he intends to quit the game in 2014.
The Italy international was said to have suffered impaired vision and had problems talking and moving.
A statement from the Italian champions read: "The player will undergo a small surgical cardiological intervention in the coming days and the recovery time will be better defined after the surgery, but it will probably be a few months."
The incident caused Cassano to suffer insufficient blood flow to the brain, causing "ischemic cerebral damage" but no lasting damage has been detected.
His Milan team-mates unveiled a shirt bearing his name after scoring in Tuesday's 1-1 draw at BATE Borisov which secured the Italians' place in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, chief executive Adriano Galliani and coach Massimiliano Allegri all visited Cassano at the Policlinico di Milano where he was being treated on Wednesday.
Galliani said: "Antonio is in a good condition, the lad is fine but I'm not a doctor.
"I was very, very worried. His career is not at risk. The doctors say he will need a few months, not too many.
"I don't want to say too much at this stage, maybe in four, five or six months he will be in conditions to play.
"He has told me that he's upset because he had been playing well."
Cassano recently stated football has left him exhausted and revealed he intends to quit the game in 2014.
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