Euro 2020: Diego Llorente becomes second Spain player to test positive for coronavirus

ByCoral Barry

Published 09/06/2021 at 07:45 GMT

Spain's coronavirus outbreak in their training camp has worsened with the news Diego Llorente has tested positive for Covid-19. Spain's training base went into isolation on Sunday after skipper Sergio Busquets tested positive. Llorente is the second player to contract the virus with Spain set to play Sweden in their Euro 2020 opener on Monday.

Diego Llorente has tested positive for Covid-19 and becomes the second Spain player to contract coronavirus ahead of Euro 2020.

Spain’s preparations were plunged into chaos when captain Sergio Busquets tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday and the entire training base was forced into isolation.

Strict coronavirus rules set out by UEFA and Spanish health authorities meant the entire training base staff and players had to be tested again while Spain withdrew from their final friendly match against Lithuania – which was played on Tuesday by their Under-21 side.

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The team had returned all negative tests in the wake of Busquets' exit from the group, but defender Llorente has also now tested positive and had to leave the training camp.

Spanish FA (RFEF) announced Llorente’s positive test on Tuesday, not long after their Under-21 side beat Lithuania 4-0 in Madrid.

It is unclear when Busquets or Llorente will be able to return to the training camp, but the duo are likely to miss the first two games of Euro 2020.

Luis Enrique was the only coach at the tournament not to make use of the 26-man limit for squads and instead called up 24 players.

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Enrique has already enlisted six more players to the training camp ahead of having to name his final squad on Saturday.

Spain’s players have been training separately as group sessions are banned due to the outbreak. Villarrel defender Raul Albiol and Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga are set to begin training in a separate bubble on Wednesday, with Rodrigo Moreno, Pablo Fornals, Carlos Soler and Brais Mendez already called up.

UEFA have given teams until the weekend to make changes to their squads should there be any new injuries or Covid-19 outbreaks.

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Spain is not the only side to be hit by coronavirus, with Sweden losing Dejan Kulusevski to a positive test on Tuesday.

Sweden play Spain in their Euro 2020 opener on Monday. Group E also includes Poland and Slovakia.

RFEF made the following statement on Llorente’s positive test: “The RFEF regrets to announce that the central defender Diego Llorente has tested positive in the last PCR tests carried out this morning at the headquarters of the national team in Las Rozas.

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The player will leave tonight the concentration of the national team in a medicalized vehicle, following all the established health protocols.

“The national team base will continue to follow all the rules established in COVID 19 situations. Personalized training will continue. For their part, the training sessions in Las Rozas for the players in the parallel bubble will continue this Wednesday at 11:00 am under the command of Luis Enrique in response to the setbacks suffered in recent days.”

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