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Footballing legend George Best is unlikely to survive another 24 hours, his doctor has said.
"I have to tell you his hours are numbered," Professor Roger Williams said at Cromwell Hospital, west London, at 1250 GMT.
The ex-Northern Ireland and Manchester United star, 59, deteriorated with a lung infection on Friday, after almost eight weeks in hospital.
Professor Williams said on Thursday: "Mr Best is coming to the end of the long road of his ill health.
"The situation is that medically the intensive care team and everybody concerned have managed to cope with pretty well all of the complications except the one that has happened again during the night - this bleeding.
"Although [the blood] has been replaced, it has now affected the lungs and other parts, and there is really no return from that situation.
"It is just not possible to recover from that."
He added: "He is still having standard medical care and treatment but I have to tell you that his hours are numbered now and it's all very upsetting."
Best's closest family arrived at the west London hospital on Thursday looking very upset and asked the gathered media not to film or photograph them as they went in.
Professor Williams said: "We have just all been sitting down together and it's very upsetting for everybody, isn't it - those looking after him, the family.
"I have talked to them at great length, I think they understand everything... I think they accept what's going to happen."
Ex-wife turned celebrity Alex Best added "It seems a shame to lose him on the day licensing laws finally get extended."
Best was admitted to hospital on 1 October with flu-like symptoms, and suffered a kidney infection and internal bleeding before the latest decline.
Drugs needed after his liver transplant in 2002 had made the recovering alcoholic more susceptible to infection.
Things had looked more positive earlier in the week when Best regained consciousness.
He was taken off sedation and described as "fairly stable" by Professor Williams.
But then his condition deteriorated once more between 0100 and 0200 GMT on Wednesday.
Best helped Manchester United win the European Cup in 1968 - the first English club to do so - and he was European Footballer of the Year that same year.
His style captivated football fans around the world but his playboy lifestyle degenerated into alcoholism and bankruptcy.
"I have to tell you his hours are numbered," Professor Roger Williams said at Cromwell Hospital, west London, at 1250 GMT.
The ex-Northern Ireland and Manchester United star, 59, deteriorated with a lung infection on Friday, after almost eight weeks in hospital.
Professor Williams said on Thursday: "Mr Best is coming to the end of the long road of his ill health.
"The situation is that medically the intensive care team and everybody concerned have managed to cope with pretty well all of the complications except the one that has happened again during the night - this bleeding.
"Although [the blood] has been replaced, it has now affected the lungs and other parts, and there is really no return from that situation.
"It is just not possible to recover from that."
He added: "He is still having standard medical care and treatment but I have to tell you that his hours are numbered now and it's all very upsetting."
Best's closest family arrived at the west London hospital on Thursday looking very upset and asked the gathered media not to film or photograph them as they went in.
Professor Williams said: "We have just all been sitting down together and it's very upsetting for everybody, isn't it - those looking after him, the family.
"I have talked to them at great length, I think they understand everything... I think they accept what's going to happen."
Ex-wife turned celebrity Alex Best added "It seems a shame to lose him on the day licensing laws finally get extended."
Best was admitted to hospital on 1 October with flu-like symptoms, and suffered a kidney infection and internal bleeding before the latest decline.
Drugs needed after his liver transplant in 2002 had made the recovering alcoholic more susceptible to infection.
Things had looked more positive earlier in the week when Best regained consciousness.
He was taken off sedation and described as "fairly stable" by Professor Williams.
But then his condition deteriorated once more between 0100 and 0200 GMT on Wednesday.
Best helped Manchester United win the European Cup in 1968 - the first English club to do so - and he was European Footballer of the Year that same year.
His style captivated football fans around the world but his playboy lifestyle degenerated into alcoholism and bankruptcy.
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