Mbappe to miss Croatia match after positive Covid-19 test

Kylian Mbappe has been ruled out of France’s Nations League game against World Cup runners-up Croatia on Tuesday after testing positive for Covid-19, national team management said Monday.  

Mbappe, who took part in Monday evening’s training session before learning the result of his test, is the seventh Paris Saint-Germain player to contract the virus. Neymar was among the first to test positive last week. 

“He was set aside from the group after receiving the results at the end of training before returning to his home in the evening,” French team management said.

“Like the rest of the squad, Mbappe had undergone a test prior to meeting up. The result was negative like the one on Wednesday” requested by UEFA ahead of the Sweden fixture on Saturday in Solna, management said.

Mbappe will also miss PSG’s opening game of the Ligue 1 season against Lens on Thursday, along with six other team-mates including Neymar and Argentine pair Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes.

He could also sit out Sunday’s clash with bitter rivals Marseille. According to the league’s health protocol, a player who tests positive must self-isolate for eight days.

Mbappe is the fourth player to be withdrawn from the France squad following a positive Covid-19 test.

Paul Pogba was omitted just before coach Didier Deschamps revealed his 23-man squad last month, with Houssem Aouar forced out a few days later. 

Goalkeeper Steve Mandanda, who originally tested positive on August 16 with Marseille, also left camp following two further positive tests likely due to “residual” traces of the virus.