Sadio Mane tests positive to Covid-19 to Miss Villa clash
Senegal international and Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has tested positive to coronavirus and set to miss Sunday’s clash against Aston Villa.
The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finalist who started and scored in Liverpool’s 3-1 victory over Arsenal on Monday, displayed minot symptoms of the virus and is currently isolating according to the club.
Recall that Liverpool team-mate Thiago Alcantara tested positive for coronavirus earlier this week.
“Sadio Mane has tested positive for Covid-19 and is currently self-isolating according to the necessary guidelines,” the club said in a statement.
“The forward, who started and scored in Monday’s 3-1 victory over Arsenal, has displayed minor symptoms of the virus but feels in good health overall.
“However, like with Thiago Alcantara, Liverpool Football Club are – and will continue to – follow all protocols relating to Covid-19 and Mane will self-isolate for the required period of time.”
Thiago missed the Arsenal game after his own positive test and he and Mane will be absent for Sunday’s Premier League trip to Aston Villa.
Manager Jurgen Klopp will hope to have both players available when the Reds return to action after the international break in October 17’s Merseyside derby at Everton.
Mane, 28, has been in fine form this season, scoring both goals in Liverpool’s win over Chelsea before also netting against the Gunners.
His enforced isolation will also affect his international commitments after Mane was named in Senegal’s squad for their upcoming friendlies against Morocco and Mauritania.
Earlier on Friday, Klopp admitted he is concerned about the prospect of releasing Liverpool players to international duty during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Klopp takes his side to Villa Park on Sunday evening before a 13-day gap in the domestic fixture list in which the vast majority of his squad will be playing for their national teams.
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His concerns about that situation are based around the fact the players will travel to countries where protocols around coronavirus have not been made clear and also that players will be expected to return to league action on the Saturday after the midweek international fixtures.
“I don’t want to sound disrespectful about how other countries are doing it but this is the place that we know and we know how we are dealing with it,” said Klopp.