Ajax's Nouri suffered permanent brain damage after collapse

Ajax delivered a heartbreaking update on the status of youth player Abdelhak Nouri on Thursday, revealing the 20-year-old has been diagnosed with "serious and permanent brain damage."

The chance of a recovery is "nil," the club added.

Nouri collapsed during a preseason friendly against Werder Bremen in Austria last weekend, and immediately received medical attention on the pitch. The match was later abandoned.

Related: Ajax youth player Nouri in stable condition after collapsing on field

In its first follow-up report, Ajax said Nouri had heart arrhythmias, a condition flagged by an irregular heartbeat.

Upon his arrival at an Innsbruck hospital, Nouri was put to sleep and his condition monitored. Kept in the intensive care unit, the Dutch youth international was described as "stable" and "out of danger."

Thursday's news was the "worst possible," executive and former goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar told the club's website, as translated by the Guardian.

The Amsterdam outfit said the player lost significant brain function, most likely due to a lack of oxygen.

"The blow is hard for Ajax, although we knew we might have to consider this scenario," Van der Sar added. "These have been uncertain days, and lots of people in different ways have sympathised with his situation. This is greatly appreciated.

"Abdelhak has such great talent, but unfortunately we will never know how far his star would have reached if this had not happened to him."

Born in Amsterdam to Moroccan parents, Nouri made 15 appearances across all competitions for Ajax's first team last season. He was also a regular in the Netherlands' youth teams.