A THIRD Liverpool player tests positive for coronavirus as his team-mates jet off around the world to join their national teams – after the Premier League revealed nine new cases in a week
- Liverpool winger Xherdan Shaqiri has tested positive for the coronavirus
- Shaqiri becomes the third Reds player to get the virus in the space of a week
- Reds duo Sadio Mane and Thiago both tested positive for the virus last week
Xherdan Shaqiri has become the third Liverpool player to test positive for the coronavirus in the space of a week.
It is another blow for the Premier League champions who confirmed last week that both Sadio Mane and Thiago both tested positive for Covid, with all three players having to self-isolate as a result.
Three positive tests from the same team has led to fears of the virus spreading further and wider with many members of the Liverpool squad now reporting for international duty across the world.
Xherdan Shaqiri has become the third Liverpool player to test positive for the coronavirus
Juventus stopped their players from reporting for international duty on Monday after two of their non-playing staff members contracted the virus.
Shaqiri’s positive test, which was confirmed by the Swiss FA on Tuesday morning, will see the winger self-isolate for 10 days as a result.
The Premier League confirmed on Monday that nine new positive coronavirus results were returned in the latest round of testing, but it is unconfirmed whether Shaqiri was included in that total.
A Premier League statement on Monday evening said: ‘The Premier League can today confirm that between Monday 28 September through to Sunday 4 October, 1,587 players and club staff were tested for Covid-19.
Liverpool announced last week that Sadio Mane had tested positive for the coronavirus
Spanish midfielder Thiago also tested positive last week and is currently self-isolating
‘Of these, there were nine new positive tests. Players or club staff who have tested positive will self-isolate for a period of 10 days.
‘The Premier League is providing this aggregated information for the purposes of competition integrity and transparency.
‘No specific details as to clubs or individuals will be provided by the league and results will be made public after each round of testing.’
The trio all sat out of Liverpool’s 7-2 drubbing at the hands of Aston Villa on Sunday, but Jurgen Klopp will be hoping to have Sane and Thiago back in time for the Merseyside derby against Everton after the international break.
Last week, a Liverpool read: ‘Sadio Mane has tested positive for COVID-19 and is currently self-isolating according to the necessary guidelines.
‘The forward, who started and scored in Monday’s 3-1 victory over Arsenal, has displayed minor symptoms of the virus but feels in good health overall.
‘However, like with Thiago Alcantara, Liverpool Football Club are – and will continue to – follow all protocols relating to COVID-19 and Mane will self-isolate for the required period of time.’
Shaqiri has made just one appearance for Liverpool this season, where he scored a goal in Liverpool’s 7-2 thrashing of Lincoln City in the third round of the Carabao Cup last month.