Neymar is one in all three Paris Saint-Germain stars to have contracted the coronavirus, a well-placed supply informed AFP on Wednesday, after the Champions League runners-up introduced a number of constructive checks. “Three Paris Saint-Germain gamers have confirmed constructive Sars CoV2 checks and are topic to the suitable well being protocol,” PSG stated in an announcement. “All the gamers and training workers will proceed to bear checks within the coming days.” When contacted by AFP, the membership declined to substantiate the identification of the gamers in query.
However the supply replied “sure” when requested if Neymar was a kind of to check constructive, together with teammates Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes, as had earlier been reported by French sports activities every day L’Equipe.
The circumstances would look like linked to a vacation journey to the Spanish Mediterranean island of Ibiza that a number of PSG gamers took following the Champions League last defeat by Bayern Munich.
The information is a setback to the French champions’ preparations for the scheduled begin of their Ligue 1 marketing campaign subsequent week, with a recreation away at Lens set for September 10 however probably now prone to being postponed.
PSG had already stated on Monday that two unnamed gamers had reported again with coronavirus signs following a vacation.
L’Equipe reported the gamers in query on the time had been Argentinian duo Di Maria and Paredes.
These two, and Neymar, had been amongst a number of gamers who travelled to Ibiza following the Champions League last, mixing with family and friends after spending the earlier weeks remoted in a safe sanitary ‘bubble’ with teammates in Portugal.
Postponement raises questions
That was after the controversial resolution was taken to postpone the sport at newly-promoted Lens, initially scheduled for final Saturday, with a view to give the PSG squad a break following their Champions League ‘Ultimate Eight’ exertions.
PSG, France’s richest membership, have performed 5 aggressive video games within the final six months.
Mauro Icardi, Ander Herrera, Keylor Navas and Marquinhos had been additionally in Ibiza, and the latter’s spouse revealed on Instagram that the Brazilian defender had been positioned in isolation whereas awaiting the outcomes of his personal take a look at for Covid-19,
After taking part in Lens on September 10, PSG are then as a consequence of entertain bitter rivals Marseille three days later.
Within the meantime, numerous members of coach Thomas Tuchel’s squad are set to play for his or her international locations within the UEFA Nations League, with Kylian Mbappe and Presnel Kimpembe in France’s squad for a recreation towards Croatia simply 48 hours earlier than their membership’s scheduled return to motion.
However their South American stars together with Neymar usually are not concerned in worldwide motion.
Strict French league guidelines stipulate that collective staff coaching periods should be cancelled if a membership has not less than 4 constructive checks over an eight-day interval, with match postponements doable.
The circumstances elevate questions on why the French league determined to postpone PSG’s match in Lens, just for so lots of their gamers to journey overseas on vacation throughout a pandemic.
The final French season was ended early, with 10 rounds of matches left unplayed, due to the well being disaster, and the beginning of the brand new French season has already been impacted.
Promoted
In current weeks, a number of Ligue 1 golf equipment have reported constructive checks, together with Strasbourg, Lyon, Marseille, Rennes, Nantes and Montpellier.
Marseille’s recreation towards Saint-Etienne on August 21, which was set to be the season opener, was postponed.
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