TEHRAN – The football coaches and players have wished former Iran midfielder Mehrdad Minavand a speedy recovery in his battle with COVID-19.

Minavand, 45, has been hospitalized at the Laleh Hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) in Tehran.

Iran coach Dragan Skocic has posted a message to his Instagram wishing him a speedy recovery.

“I wish you fast recovery and health from the bottom of my heart,” Skocic wrote.

Former Iran and Persepolis coaches Branko Ivankovic and Ali Daei have also posted message on their Instagram accounts.

Minavand represented Iran national football team in the 1998 World Cup.

The left winger played for Persepolis five years. Minavand also was a member of Austrain club Sturm Graz and Charleroi from Belgium.

Iranian Health Ministry Spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Thursday that at least 1,144,549 patients have recovered from the coronavirus infection so far or have been discharged from hospitals across the country.

She also put the death toll from the coronavirus at 57,150, saying the disease has taken the lives of 93 patients over the past 24 hours.

The number of people tested positive for COVID-19 infection in Iran has exceeded 1,354,520 following the detection of 4,148 new cases since Wednesday noon, the spokeswoman added.

The number of people infected with COVID-19 across the world has surpassed 97 million and the death toll has exceeded 2.08 million.