Ex-Fulham and Newcastle striker rushed to hospital over "rapid heartbeat" as Al-Hilal issues statement

Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, currently playing in the Saudi Pro League, was unable to take part in training at the weekend due to a heart rate issue, which was reportedly caused by “physical stress”. After concerns about a “rapid heartbeat” he was then rushed into hospital.

Mitrovic made a £46m move from Fulham to Al-Hilal in 2023 after his best Premier League campaign, in which he scored 14 goals. He played a big part in Al-Hilal winning the Saudi Pro League last season and remains one of the league’s top scorers this time around, despite missing most of 2025 due to a hamstring injury.

The club is closely monitoring his condition, and his availability for Tuesday's (March 11) Asian Champions League match against Uzbek side Pakhtakor remains uncertain.

“The medical staff has decided to rest Aleksandar Mitrovic from Sunday's training due to feeling fatigue and arrhythmias,” Al-Hilal confirmed in a statement. The former Newcastle striker is now in a stable condition and has been discharged.

Mitrovic only returned from his hamstring injury the week before, coming off the bench against Al-Fayah on March 3 and scoring in a 2-0 win. Despite his injury setbacks, the Serbian forward has managed 21 goals and three assists in 25 games this season.

During his time in England, Mitrovic struggled to find consistency in the Premier League despite dominating the Championship. His standout 2021-22 season saw him break records with 43 goals in 46 matches, paving the way for a top-flight campaign where he scored 14 goals and helped Fulham finish tenth in the league.

But his departure from Fulham the following year was not an amicable split, with manager Marco Silva saying he “forced” and exit from Craven Cottage.

Silva said: “Mitrovic forced everything to leave the club. Both clubs have an agreement, it's the moment for him to leave.

“He forced it. It's clear what he did. I'm not saying if I'm disappointed or not in him, he knows my opinion, I told him in private. It was not just Mitrovic in our football club in the last three or four weeks.

“Is it normal? No. Should footballers behave in this way? No, is the easy answer. It was not like it should be in many aspects.”