Chinese Super League players test negative for COVID-19 ahead of delayed season start

A total of 1,870 individuals from the tournament's two hubs - Suzhou near Shanghai and Dalian in the northeast of China - have undergone medical checks.

In this February 28, 2017 photo, Brazilian player Oscar of Shanghai SIPG makes a gesture during an Asian Champions League group-stage match against Western Sydney Wanderers in Shanghai, China.

All Chinese Super League (CSL) players have tested negative for COVID-19 as the season prepares to kick off on Saturday after a five-month delay, Xinhua reported.

A total of 1,870 individuals from the tournament's two hubs - Suzhou near Shanghai and Dalian in the northeast of China - have undergone medical checks, with none of them testing positive for the disease.

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Players and officials from the 16 participating teams will be confined to their hotel and parts of the stadiums and tests will be conducted once a week during the tournament, it added.

The CSL was originally scheduled to start on February 22 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Teams will play a round robin with the top four qualifying for an eight-team “championship” stage and the bottom four from each group going into a “relegation” phase.