‘There is no emergency’ - Pele’s daughter allays fears over Brazil icon’s health as he returns to hospital

The daughter of Pele has moved to allay growing fears over the football icon’s health after he returned to hospital in his native Brazil.

Pele, 82, is battling colon cancer and reports on Wednesday suggested that he had been taken to the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein in Sao Paulo by his wife Marcia having been suffering from swelling all over his body and decompensated heart failure.

However, his daughter Kely Nascimento has since taken to social media to insist that while her father is back in hospital, he is simply regulating his medication with no “emergency or new dire prediction”.

“Lots of alarm in the media today concerning my dad’s health,” she wrote on Instagram.

“He is in the hospital regulating medication. Some of my siblings are visiting Brazil. There is no emergency or new dire prediction.

“I will be there for New Year’s and promise to post some pictures. Really and truly, we appreciate the concern and love!!”

Three-time World Cup winner Pele - regarded as arguably the greatest footballer of all-time - has been in poor health for a number of years, having been in and out of an intensive care unit last year following surgery on a tumour on his colon.

In 2014 he spent some time in ICU due to a severe urinary tract infection, while Pele has also been unable to walk unaided for a number of years due to chronic hip issues.