Diego Maradona is to undergo emergency surgery for a blood clot on his brain.
The Argentina legend was hospitalised on Monday after feeling unwell.
Maradona's personal doctor, Leopoldo Luque told reporters on Monday his client had been "very sad for a week" and "didn't want to eat".
He had been treated for anaemia and dehydration.
However, subdural haematoma was detected in by a CT scan and he's been transferred from La Plata to the Olivos Clinic in Buenos Aires where he'll be operated on on Tuesday night.
Maradona - currently the head coach at Gimnasia y Esgrima - only celebrated his 60th birthday last Friday.
REITERAMOS: Diego Maradona tendrá que ser operado por un coágulo en el cerebro.
Tras ser internado en el día de ayer, al Diez le detectaron un hematoma subdural por el cual deberá ser intervenido quirúrgicamente hoy mismo. pic.twitter.com/ZbkyDrIIwx— TyC Sports (@TyCSports) November 3, 2020
Dr. Luque had told reporters on Wednesday, "He is lucid, understands and agrees with the intervention.
"I explained to him and he's very calm. It is a subdural hematoma and is a routine surgery.
"Subdural hematomas are imperceptible and patients often do not remember them
The surgery could take up to six hours to complete, and it's due to begin at midnight, Irish time.
The most gifted footballer of his generation, Maradona captained Argentina to World Cup glory in Mexico.
Four years later, he led a poor imitation of the 1986 squad to the final where they were beaten by an Andy Brehme penalty for Germany and their own poor discipline.
An icon in his native country, his professional career started in 1976 with Argentinos Juniors, before spells at Boca Juniors and Barcelona.
But it was at Napoli where he cemented himself as one of the game's all-time greats.
He helped turn a middling southern Italian side into Serie A champions, first in 1987 and then again in 1990.
He also helped the Biancocelesti win a UEFA Cup and a Coppa Italia during his time in Naples.
But his greatest successes were built while sewing the seeds of his own downfall.
Maradona became mired in the Naples underworld, developing a cocaine habit that would see him banned from football on numerous occasions.
In recent years, he has battled with obesity and his general health. In the past decade he's been treated for hepatitis and alcohol abuse.
