Holland teammate Orlando Engelaar hopes his advice has lifted the spirits of injured Arsenal striker Robin van Persie.

Van Persie was told about Mariana Kovacevic, the housewife who is said to have the amazing healing powers, by two of his former Feyenoord team-mates Danko Lazovic and Orlando Engelaar, who both now play for PSV Eindhoven.

"Van Persie was feeling really down after the Italy game when Engelaar had a word with him and told him all about Lazovic's incredible recovery," a source close to the Holland squad told the Daily Mail.

"Engelaar convinced him it was worth a go and it has given him something to focus on.

"There is a lot of scepticism about this woman and some people are dismissing it as hocus-pocus, but the evidence is there for everyone to see.

"Lazovic was looking at nearly two months out but was back playing in less than three weeks after seeing her.

"It will be remarkable if Van Persie is fit for the Chelsea game (on November 29), but he just wants to be back as soon as possible. After what happened with Lazovic, he is ruling nothing out."