[ad_1]
Reds winger becomes second team member to provide positive test for Covid-19
Sadio Mane will miss Liverpool’s trip to Aston Villa after becoming the last Reds player to test positive for Covid-19.
The Senegalese forward is in self-isolation after his positive test, with Jurgen Klopp’s plans hit once again by the growing specter of the coronavirus.
According to the club, Mane has shown minor symptoms of the virus, but is generally in good health.
Liverpool will already be left without new signing Thiago Alcantara, whose positive test for Covid-19 was confirmed on Monday, and now Mane will join the Spaniard on the bench.
As with Thiago, the decision to release the positive test is up to the player. Liverpool says the club has followed all the necessary protocols, although the news will of course raise fears of more positive tests in the future.
It comes as fears of a second wave of coronavirus grow in the UK, with nearly 7,000 new cases confirmed on Friday, as well as 66 deaths.
In football, Kilmarnock’s Scottish Premiership game against Motherwell on Friday was postponed, and Killie’s entire team entered a 14-day isolation period with six positive tests recorded at the club this week.
In the Premier League, 10 new cases were recorded in the latest round of testing. Players such as Ilkay Gundogan, Manchester City midfielder, and West Ham manager David Moyes have tested positive in recent weeks, despite strict measures employed by clubs to ensure that risk is minimized.
Mane’s absence against Aston Villa could mean Diogo Jota will have his first Premier League start for Liverpool. The £ 45m signing kicked off the Carabao Cup loss to Arsenal on Thursday and could now replace the left at Villa Park. Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi are Klopp’s other options.
The champions were boosted by Captain Jordan Henderson’s return to training on Friday. The England midfielder had missed the last three games with a thigh problem, but was able to participate in a session at Melwood and has a chance of being included in the 18-man roster on Sunday.
Joel Matip, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Kostas Tsimikas will miss the match, along with Thiago and Mane.
