Euro 2020: Llorente second Spanish player to test COVID-19 positive

The Spanish football federation said Llorente tested positive on Tuesday and was put into isolation, two days after captain Sergio Busquets had to leave the team's training camp because of the virus.

Diego Llorente runs with the ball during the international friendly match between Spain and Portugal at Wanda Metropolitano stadium in Madrid, Spain.

Diego Llorente has become the second Spain player infected with the coronavirus ahead of the European Championship.

The Spanish football federation said Llorente tested positive on Tuesday and was put into isolation, two days after captain Sergio Busquets had to leave the team's training camp because of the virus.

 

No other player had tested positive, the federation said.

Llorente's positive result was made public not long after Spain's under-21 squad beat Lithuania 4-0 on Tuesday in Madrid in a match that was supposed to be played by the senior team as its final warm-up before “La Roja” opened its Euro 2020 campaign against Sweden on Monday in Seville.

The Spanish federation did not say whether Busquets or Llorente would be cut from the squad, but coach Luis Enrique has already called up six plays to practice separately at the team's training camp. He has until Saturday to make changes to his initial list in case of injuries or COVID-19 cases.

 

Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and defender Raul Albiol were expected to begin training in the separate bubble on Wednesday, joining Rodrigo Moreno, Pablo Fornals, Carlos Soler and Brais Mendez, who all arrived earlier in the week.

Personalised training routines would continue for players in the main squad, observing COVID-19 protocols.

Players who test positive must stay in isolation for at least 10 days, meaning both Busquets and Llorente will miss the opener against Sweden. It would also be unlikely they would be fit for Spain's second match against Poland on June 19. The team's final Group E match will be against Slovakia on June 23, also in Seville.

 

Spanish media said the national team players could be vaccinated against COVID-19 in the coming days. There had been some criticism for the delay in getting players vaccinated, contrary to what happened to the Spanish athletes competing at the Tokyo Olympics.

There was also criticism for possibly allowing the soccer players to be vaccinated before other Spaniards who were in line for the coronavirus vaccine.

Two Sweden players also tested positive for COVID-19 — Juventus winger Dejan Kulusevski and Bologna midfielder Mattias Svanberg.

 

The Euros begin on Friday when Italy hosts Turkey.

Spain beat Lithuania with a squad in which 19 of the 20 players called up had never played for the senior national team. The friendly counted as a first-team match, with players getting caps and an official debut for coach Luis de la Fuente with the main squad.

De la Fuente named 10 rookies plus Bryan Gil in the starting lineup. The last time Spain had 10 players on debut for a senior international was in 1941, against Portugal, after the team had not played since Spain’s Civil War broke out in 1936.