Club managers around the world will be especially worried during the current international break. Not only are players at risk of injury after a packed schedule and little rest, there’s also the Covid-19 situation.
Despite national squads shouting loudly about how secure their bubbles are, and why there should be little worry, players continue to test positive for Covid-19, usually having already trained with their teammates or at least spent time with them.
For Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, one of his biggest worries will be Victor Lindelof.
The defender spoke to the Swedish media on Thursday and said he’s been battling through games despite having an injury issue. Taking part in his country’s press conference, Lindelof explained: “The back feels okay. I’ve been having problems for a few weeks. I’ve struggled through the matches there’s been. It’s nice that I got a few days off now where there has only been treatment and I really tried to rest.
“It felt good in training today. Hopefully there should be no problems. If they want me to play, I will try to play and see how it feels. Then after that we will see how the back will be.”
Since then the Swedish camp have been hit with another Covid-19 positive. They’re already without manager Janne Andersson, who is in isolation after his own positive, and now it’s been reported by Aftonbladet that Carl Starfelt, a central defender who plays for Rubin Kazan, is in the same situation.
He took a test on Thursday, which returned positive, and has been tested again on Friday morning. The likelihood is he’ll have been training with Lindelof on Thursday, and certainly in the same group.
Manchester United will hope he’s not passed the virus over to Lindelof, but even if he hasn’t it makes the likelihood higher that Solskjaer’s man will be used in the upcoming matches.
Sweden face Croatia and France, squads which have had their own positive tests during this international break.
