Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang says he lost four kilos in weight and was "really, really down" after contracting malaria while on international duty with Gabon in March.
"This was the worst moment of being sick in my life because it was really hard," he said.
"I was feeling very, very bad."
The forward, who scored in Gabon's 3-0 win over DR Congo in Africa Cup of Nations qualification on 25 March, said he began to feel unwell during Arsenal's home loss to Liverpool on 3 April.
"As you know, going to Gabon is not so close to here," he said.