Member of Republic of Ireland squad tests positive for Covid-19 on eve of friendly with England… but rest of Stephen Kenny’s side are unaffected with ‘asymptomatic’ player having ‘no close contacts’
- Football Association of Ireland confirmed a positive Covid-19 test on Tuesday
- The positive test result comes on the eve of the team’s friendly against England
- The unnamed player is ‘asymptomatic’ but has not affected the rest of the squad
- Stephen Kenny has only lost that one player this week due to ‘no close contacts’
A member of the Republic of Ireland national team squad is self-isolating after it was confirmed one of Stephen Kenny’s players tested positive for Covid-19.
Described as ‘asymptomatic’, the Football Association of Ireland have stated that no other player has been affected with the unnamed star having ‘no close contacts’.
The rest of the playing squad and staff members returned negative tests and will be eligible for Thursday’s friendly against England.
A member of Republic of Ireland’s squad has been confirmed to have tested Covid-19 positive
Ireland take on Gareth Southgate’s England side in a friendly match on Thursday evening
‘The Football Association of Ireland can confirm that one member of the senior men’s international team has tested positive for COVID-19,’ a statement said.
‘The player has been isolated from the group as per COVID-19 protocols, and the HSE and UEFA have been informed of this development. The player is asymptomatic and feeling well.
‘There are no close contacts of the player and the rest of the staff and squad tested negative ahead of Thursday’s international friendly against England.’
Kenny has contended with positive tests but has not seen others as close contacts this time
It is not the first time that a positive coronavirus test result has emerged in Kenny’s squad.
Back in October, hosting Wales in Dublin as part of the UEFA Nations League, five players were ruled out due to complications with the virus.
The FAI confirmed that one unnamed player has tested positive and that four others had been deemed as close contacts of the individual.
It is understood the four players were Sheffield United defender John Egan, Callum Robinson of West Brom, Preston’s Alan Browne and Callum O’Dowda of Bristol City.
Callum Robinson (right) and John Egan (left) were two of the players who missed the Wales clash last month having been deemed a ‘close contact’ to a player who had tested positive
That disaster came after strikers Aaron Connolly and Adam Idah were forced to miss their Euro 2020 play-off defeat in Slovakia after sitting too close on the team’s aeroplane to a member of staff who later tested positive.
The players, it was later revealed, were sat in the wrong seats on the plane.
Thursday’s friendly emerged after New Zealand, England’s original opponents were forced to withdraw due to issues surrounding the global health crisis.
After facing England, Kenny’s side will take on Wales for their Nations League clash on Sunday before hosting Bulgaria in Dublin on Wednesday.