The current international break has seen many countries find positive Covid-19 cases within their national camps, to the extent that the whole thing seems something of a farce.
France, Norway, Sweden, Croatia, Egypt, Republic of Ireland, Denmark, Belgium, Hungary, Serbia, Netherlands, Brazil and Uruguay are just some of the national camps to have had players test positive.
Some countries have found multiple cases, and that’s a big issue for Ukraine as their match away in Switzerland this evening has been called off and the whole camp is now in quarantine.
Manchester City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko is the only Premier League player in the squad, and fortunately hasn’t tested positive.
There’s a worry other players could later test positive, with early negatives sometimes then overturned.
Swiss newspaper Blick have spoken to Roger Harstall, the medical lead for Lucerne, and asked if this means the entire squad must remained quarantine in a hotel, as they currently are, for ten days: “No, not necessarily. Under certain conditions of the BAG there is the possibility to leave the hotel and to travel home.”
BAG is the Swiss public health authority.
Manchester City and other clubs will likely be looking into those conditions.
