Man City’s Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte test positive for coronavirus

Manchester City have confirmed that Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte have tested positive for coronavirus. 

Both players will now undergo a period of self-isolation and the club confirmed that neither player is showing any symptoms of the virus. 

Laporte tweeted later on Monday and reassured fans of his health, saying alongside a selfie: ‘Thanks everyone for your messages, everything is going as well as possible, I am following the protocol for the next few days and I will be back soon take care of yourself.’ 

Riyad Mahrez (left) and Aymeric Laporte (right) have tested positive for coronavirus

The two positive tests will be a concern for Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola

Laporte later tweeted to reassure fans that he was in good health and posted this selfie online

Though the Premier League returns this Saturday, Pep Guardiola’s side do not play their first game until September 21 when they travel to Molineux to face Wolves, due to their involvement in the latter stages of the Champions League in August. 

However, City sources have told The Telegraph that they expect the pair to be back in advance of the match against Wolves.  

The positive tests will be of concern to the Premier League generally though, with the new season starting in five days.

City said in a statement: ‘Manchester City FC can confirm that Riyad Mahrez and Aymeric Laporte have tested positive for Covid-19.

‘Both players are currently observing a period of self-isolation in accordance with Premier League and UK Government protocol on quarantine. Neither is displaying symptoms of the virus.

The pair will observe a period of self-isolation, with City’s first game back in two weeks’ time

‘Everyone at the Club wishes Riyad and Aymeric a speedy recovery ahead of their return to training and the new season.’

Mahrez, 29, and Laporte, 26, are not the first professional footballers to test positive for the virus in recent weeks. 

PSG star Neymar last week contracted COVID-19 after a holiday in Ibiza, as did team-mates Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes.

Neymar (bottom right) tested positive for coronavirus after a recent holiday in Ibiza

Angel Di Maria (centre) and Leandro Paredes (second left) were also in Ibiza on holiday

Manchester United star Paul Pogba tested positive for coronavirus alongside Tottenham midfielder Tanguy Ndombele while meeting up for international duty with France. 

Chelsea were also rocked by a host of their stars contracting the virus two weeks ago, with six players testing positive. 

Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham, Christian Pulisic and Fikayo Tomori were placed into isolation after a break to Mykynos in Greece. Jorginho, Ross Barkley, Emerson and Michy Batshuayi have also stayed away from Chelsea’s Cobham training base, although it is not known which six players tested positive.

Manchester United’s Paul Pogba is another high-profile player to test positive for coronavirus

Chelsea players Christian Pulisic (left), Tammy Abraham (centre) and Fikayo Tomori (right) were placed into isolation after a break to Mykynos in Greece, although it is not known which six of the club’s players tested positive for coronavirus recently

Elsewhere in the Premier League, Wolves winger Adama Traore tested positive ahead of joining up with his Spanish international team-mates last Tuesday. 

A total of 14 positive tests were recorded from the 12 Premier League clubs who returned to training ahead of the new season three weeks ago. 

Fulham host Arsenal in the first game of the new season, with kick-off at 12.30pm on Saturday.