Bukayo Saka leaves England camp after testing positive for Covid-19 ahead of Switzerland, Ivory Coast friendlies
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ByEurosport
Updated 24/03/2022 at 18:23 GMT
Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka missed England training on Wednesday as he was suffering with an illness and had been confined to his hotel room. He tested negative for Covid-19 on arrival at England's St George's Park training base on Tuesday but - on Thursday - he tested positive and will now return home. England are not bringing in any replacements.
Bukayo Saka
Image credit: Getty Images
Bukayo Saka has left England’s training camp as he has tested positive for Covid-19.
The Arsenal winger had been isolating from the rest of the squad at St. George’s Park since Wednesday and has now returned home.
England have confirmed that no further replacements are planned with a squad of 24 in place for friendlies at Wembley Stadium against Switzerland on Saturday and Ivory Coast on Tuesday.
Saka has scored four goals and got four assists in 14 caps for England and was nominated for March's Premier League Player of the Month award for his fine performances for Arsenal.
He tweeted: "I am gutted to withdraw from the England camp but I have tested positive for Covid-19 and I will be isolating until I am negative.
"I'll be supporting the boys from home this weekend and I can't wait to be being back doing what I love soon."
On Wednesday, Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster was called up to the England squad for the first time since 2017.
Forster took the place of West Brom's Sam Johnstone, who initially came into the squad to replace Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale who had a hip injury.
Johnstone missed training on Tuesday before withdrawing from the squad on Wednesday due to illness.
Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold, Chelsea's Reece James and Roma's Tammy Abraham had also withdrawn from the squad through injury.
Manchester City's Raheem Sterling joined up with the Three Lions squad on Wednesday.
Sterling had been given permission to join late in order to attend an event in Jamaica with Prince William as part of his efforts to improve social mobility for young people through his Raheem Sterling Foundation.
Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell and Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters were rewarded with their first England senior call-ups on Monday.
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