Athletic Bilbao defender Alvarez given 10-month doping ban

Athletic Bilbao defender Yeray Alvarez has been hit with a 10-month ban after testing positive for a prohibited substance following a Europa League clash against Manchester United last season, European football’s governing body UEFA said on Monday.

Analysis of a sample provided by the player after the game in May “revealed the presence of Canrenone”, a substance banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, UEFA said.

UEFA acknowledged that the 30-year-old took the substance “involuntarily”, with Alvarez saying it been through medicine he was using to combat hair loss following treatment for testicular cancer.

However, he was banned for 10 months, with the start backdated to June when he had accepted a voluntary provisional suspension.

That means Alvarez will be able to return to action at the start of April next year, albeit he will be allowed to return to training with his teammates two months before that.

Alvarez was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2016 and after treatment returned to play in 2017, but suffered a reoccurrence later that year, making a second comeback in 2018.

His positive test came after Athletic’s 3-0 home defeat by United in the Europa League semi-final first leg on May 1.

The news of his ban is a major blow to the Basque club, who will take part in this season’s Champions League.

It comes after a move to bring Spain centre-back Aymeric Laporte back to the club for a second spell from Saudi side Al-Nassr fell through late in the transfer window.