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U-21 international called off after more virus cases in Italian team

The U-21 European Championship qualifier between Iceland and Italy, which was due to take place on Friday, has been postponed because of two new cases of coronavirus within the Italian team. 

Milan announced that one of the two players who tested positive on arrival at Rekyavik airport on Thursday is their defender Matteo Gabbia. 

The other, according to the sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport, is goalkeeper Alessandro Plizzari. An unnamed official also tested positive.

“Local authorities have quarantined the Italy team and the match is therefore postponed,” a UEFA spokesperson told AFP

The “Icelandic authorities have asked the delegation to quarantine itself”, the Italian Federation (FIGC) said, adding that one of the two players is “symptomatic” and under constant medical supervision.

Earlier this week, two other Under-21 internationals tested positive, including Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni. 

Gabbia is the third Milan player to test positive after Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Leo Duarte. With five Inter players also having tested positive the derby scheduled for October 17 is now in doubt.

Italian football has been hit by multiple coronavirus cases in the past week after a cluster of 22 in Genoa, whose Serie A match against Torino was postponed.

Napoli failed to turn up for their match against Juventus on Sunday night on the instructions of local health authorities after two positive cases, and could forfeit the game 3-0.

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