Kyle Walker and Gabriel Jesus confirmed, today, Friday, that the Manchester City duo have been infected with the Corona virus.
Two club employees also tested positive, whose identities have not been revealed.
It now appears that defender Walker and striker Jesus will miss the Premier League matches against Newcastle, Everton and Chelsea, with the Carabao Cup semi-final match against Manchester United possibly returning on January 6.
“All four individuals will now observe a period of self-isolation in accordance with the Premier League and the UK government’s quarantine protocol,” City said in a statement released Friday morning.
“Everyone in the club wishes our colleagues a speedy recovery during the Christmas period before they return to work, training and competition.”
The positive tests announced on Christmas Day come as the United Kingdom faces an increase in coronavirus cases, with 39,036 confirmed on Thursday, the second-highest daily total since the start of the pandemic.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases since the start of the epidemic to 2188587.
Premier League clubs subject to Category 4 restrictions related to Coronavirus, which are set to number at Boxing Day IncreaseThey said they would start Take the tests twice a week Higher than previous individual examination – as soon as reasonably practicable.
Starting next month, the increased testing will be expanded to include clubs in lower tier regions, which will currently include Manchester, with the city at Level 3.
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The duo’s absence is a big blow for City during the busy holiday season. Pep Guardiola hosts Newcastle on Boxing Day, before traveling to face Everton at Goodison Park just 48 hours later.
City will then have a six-day break before their trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea, but the duo are still slated to be absent, as they have to self-isolate for 10 days from their positive test date.
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Walker and Jesus both participated, and the latter scored, as City booked their place in the Carabao Cup semi-final with a 4-1 victory over Arsenal on Wednesday, and they are scheduled to emerge from quarantine in time to be available to face Manchester United at Old. Trafford.
Guardiola was holding back Sergio Aguero returned to the first-team confrontation As the Argentine recovers from a knee injury, City’s record goalscorer may now be forced into a heavier workload than planned.
Joao Cancelo is likely to play right-back in Walker’s absence, with favorites Benjamin Mendy and Alexander Zinchenko for the left-back position often occupied by the Portuguese defender in recent weeks.
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