Florenzi latest Italy player with Covid-19, out of PSG's Bayern showdown

Paris (AFP) – Defender Alessandro Florenzi became the fourth Italy player to have tested positive for Covid-19 since the recent international break when his club, Paris Saint-Germain, tweeted on Monday that he will miss their Champions League game at Bayern Munich.

Following the “latest PCR Sars-Cov2 test, Alessandro Florenzi is confirmed positive,” the club wrote on its Twitter account. 

Florenzi joins PSG teammate Marco Verratti, who is also out of the quarter-final first leg against Bayern on Wednesday, Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci and Freiburg’s midfielder Vincenzo Grifo in testing positive.

Grifo has “a low concentration of the virus”, his club said. 

Several members of Italy’s coaching staff also tested positive last Wednesday.

Serie A club Sassuolo omitted its three Italian internationals, Domenico Berardi, Francesco Caputo and Manuel Locatelli from the squad that drew with Roma on Saturday as a precaution.

PSG said Florenzi “will therefore respect the isolation and is subject to the appropriate health protocol”, adding that “the player has been in isolation for several days as a precaution”. 

The full-back, on loan from Roma, was not on the team sheet for Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Lille in Ligue 1.