English football giants Chelsea said the club are "praying" for their former midfielder Christian Atsu amid reports that the Ghana international is among those yet to be found from the rubble following the devastating earthquakes that rocked Türkiye and Syria on Monday. 

The 31-year-old, who now plies his trade for Turkish Super Lig side Hatayspor, just netted a dramatic injury-time winner on Sunday to secure a hard-fought 1-0 win over Kasimpasa, but was reported missing after the magnitude-7.8 quake and dozens of aftershocks tore down a huge number of apartment blocks in south-eastern Türkiye. 

"Christian Atsu and [club sporting director] Taner Savut are still under the rubble," Hatayspor vice president Mustafa Ozat was quoted as saying by the Turkish TV Play Spor. Portuguese sports newspaper A Bola later claimed that Atsu had sustained "injuries to his right foot and breathing difficulties," but the report remains unconfirmed by Hatayspor.

Atsu joined Chelsea as a promising youngster in 2013 from Porto before being sent on a number of loan spells. He made a permanent switch to Newcastle United in 2017 after helping the Magpies win promotion back to the Premier League. 

While a search and rescue operation is still underway, Chelsea released a statement, saying "the thoughts of everyone at Chelsea Football Club are with those affected by the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria, before adding, "We're praying for you, Christian Atsu." Newcastle also tweeted they were "praying for some positive news." 

A post on the official Twitter account of Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said, "Our hearts and prayers go out to the survivors, and we pray that our fellow Ghanaian, Christian Atsu, is found safe and sound."

Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay confirmed that the death toll from the earthquakes has risen to 2,379, adding that 14,483 others were injured. 

Meanwhile, Adana Demirspor head coach Vincenzo Montella has told Italian news agency ANSA how the quakes have dealt a huge blow to his team, who had traveled to Istanbul for a league game against Umraniyespor. 

"There are continuous aftershocks, we are all worried and at the mercy of events," said the 48-year-old Italian tactician. "With Adana Demirspor we've been in Istanbul since yesterday, the match with Umraniyespor was cancelled... 

"In Adana I know the earthquake was felt strongly, many of my players are worried about their families."

Later in the day, Chinese female football veteran Li Jiayue, who just joined Turkish powerhouse Galatasaray SK from Shanghai Shengli in January, revealed that her team has managed to evacuate from a hotel in Adana after earthquakes hit the region. 

"This place is very close to the epicenter, so the damage is more severe," she said on Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter. 

"Many of my teammates were scared and cried. Although I didn't cry, it was the first time I felt I was so close to death... I don't know what's next, but I hope everyone is safe."

According to Istanbul-based newspaper Birgun, a number of Turkish wrestlers, including Olympic champion Taha Akgul, are also reportedly trapped under the rubble.  

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared a seven-day national mourning. with Youth and Sports Minister Mehmet Kasapoglu confirming that all national sporting events in the country have been suspended until further notice. 

International Olympic Committee (IOC) also offered condolences to Türkiye and Syria over the deadly earthquake that struck the two countries.

"It is with great sadness that the IOC has learned of the tragic loss of life and the devastation caused by the earthquake that has struck the south-eastern region of Turkey and Syria," IOC President Thomas Bach said in a statement. 

"Our hearts go out to all the families of the athletes who died or those who have been impacted while they were taking part in sporting competitions in the affected area... Our sympathies also lie with those who are working tirelessly to assist in these rescue operations. 

"The Olympic Movement stands ready to help in whatever way we can, as sport can play an important role in the rebuilding of communities and in helping people normalize their lives."