Salah and Elneny test positive for COVID-19 again
CAIRO: Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah and Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny have returned another positive test for COVID-19, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) said on Wednesday.
Salah had previously tested positive for the coronavirus last Friday, on the eve of Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Togo, while Elneny tested positive three days later.
Salah, who is the joint leading scorer in the Premier League this season with eight goals, will miss the visit from league leaders Leicester City on Sunday.
He is also likely to be ruled out of Liverpool’s Champions League game against Atalanta next Wednesday, while Elneny is expected to miss Arsenal’s trip to Leeds United on Sunday and their Europa League clash at Molde on Nov 26.
Salah wrote on Twiter on Tuesday: “I’d like to thank everyone for the supportive messages and well wishes. I’m confident I’ll be back on the field soon.” The news of Salah’s first positive test came ater he reportedly atended his brother’s wedding, with footage posted on social media appearing to show him dancing with other guests.
Salah had atended his brother Nasr’s wedding in the town of Nagrig and photographs show him dancing with a mask pushed onto his chin at one point.
“Today, Mohamed Salah made a new swab to detect the Covid-19 virus, but its result was positive,” a statement on the Egyptian FA website statement said. “Today, Mohamed Elneny also conducted a second swab, which confirmed its positive results.” Mahmoud Trezeguet of Premier League side Aston Villa, an international teammate of Salah’s, was also at the wedding.
Salah, 28, had also atended a ceremony organised by the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) in Cairo to celebrate his achievement of being the first Egyptian to win the Premier League and the Champions League.
Salah is said to be showing only mild symptoms. Elneny played in the first of Egypt’s two Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Togo before his positive test and is said to asymptomatic.
UK government coronavirus rules dictate individuals must undergo a 10-day isolation period ater a positive test.
It is unclear whether Salah will be allowed to travel back to the UK on Monday, once the enforced period of isolation ends, or whether he has to test negative before he can.
Salah is the fourth Liverpool first-team player to test positive for coronavirus this season, following Thiago in September and then Sadio Mane and Xherdan Shaqiri in October.
Liverpool were already dealing with an injury crisis before Salah’s positive test last week. Key centre-half Virgil van Dijk is already set to miss most of the season ater undergoing knee surgery, while manager Jurgen Klopp is also without Trent Alexander-arnold, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip.
Andy Robertson, Fabinho, Thiago and Jordan Henderson are all doubful for Sunday’s game at Anfield. Elneny is expected to miss at least Arsenal’s trip to Leeds on Sunday and their Europa League game at Molde next Thursday.
Also out of those matches is the defender Sead Kolasinac ater the Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Federation earlier confirmed he had tested positive for Covid-19.