Neymar, Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes test positive for COVID-19

Brazilian forward Neymar is the third member of the PSG Champions League squad to test positive for COVID-19 and that means he will certainly miss the French champions’ opening Ligue 1 clash with Lens on 10 September.

The 28-year-old had been on a holiday in Ibiza, following the French giants’ defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League final on 23 August. It is reported that Neymar along with his team-mates Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes contracted the virus on the Balearic island where they were vacationing.

The Brazil star tested positive on Wednesday and is expected to follow a seven-day quarantine, tampering Thomas Tuchel’s plans for the upcoming season. 

PSG were permitted two weeks of rest ahead of the commencement of the new season, having reached the final of the rearranged Champions League tournament.

PSG’s first league game will be eight days after Neymar’s positive test result and that makes Neymar missing it certain. Reports by L’Equipe also say that the games themselves may be in trouble because of Ligue 1’s newly enforced law regarding the postponement of a fixture. So if a team has four or more coronavirus victims ahead of a game, the game is expected to be postponed.

This rule was first seen come into action when Marseille’s match with St Etienne was called off after four players, including ex-Palace goalkeeper Steve Mandanda tested positive for the virus. However, the French giants will pray for their trio to make quick recoveries in isolation, as all of them played a vital role in the team’s journey to the European Cup final.

Neymar and co had failed to stop the German champions Bayern from lifting the trophy, as former PSG star Kingsley Coman scored the only goal of the game for Die Roten. 

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