Spain’s Llorente tests positive for Covid-19

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The Spanish Federation announced that the central defender Diego Llorente has tested positive in the last PCR tests carried out on Tuesday morning in Las Rozas.

The footballer left the retreat camp of the national team on Tuesday night following all the established health protocols.

The training sessions in Las Rozas for the players in a seperate bubble will continue this Wednesday at 11:00 am under Luis Enrique in response to the setbacks suffered in recent days due to Covid, the Federation said.

More COVID-19 positives likely, says Spanish FA president

There are likely to be more COVID-19 cases in the Spain squad, the Spanish FA (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales said on Tuesday after captain Sergio Busquets returned a positive test.

The squad and coaching staff immediately went into isolation following Busquets’ positive test on Sunday, meaning their under-21 team and coach stepped in to face Lithuania on Tuesday, claiming a 4-0 victory in a friendly.

Rubiales also criticised national broadcaster Television Espanola’s (TVE) decision not to broadcast the Lithuania game on their flagship La 1 channel, as originally planned, instead shifting the game to sister channel Teledeporte.

“I’d hope they’d (TVE) treat the national team, a team for all Spaniards, with more love and respect,” Rubiales said.

“Especially at fragile times like now. We have one positive case, there could well be more positive cases, it’s probable there will be. But these players here deserve respect, as does the badge on their shirt.”

In the wake of Busquets’ positive test, Spain called up six senior players – Kepa Arrizabalaga, Raul Albiol, Carlos Soler, Brais Mendez, Pablo Fornals and Rodrigo Moreno – to form a parallel training bubble so they could be called upon for the upcoming European Championship if needs be.

The RFEF also said that an as yet unspecified number of under-21 players who played against Lithuania would be asked to remain in Madrid to join the parallel bubble.

Spain face Sweden, who on Tuesday recorded two positive COVID-19 cases, in their Euro 2020 Group E opener next Monday.

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