DAILY MAIL
27 AUGUST 2020
Man United star Paul Pogba tests positive for coronavirus - just days after he was pictured out at a London restaurant with his pregnant wife - while Chelsea's pre-season plans are hit as SIX players have the virus
- Paul Pogba's tested positive for Covid-19 and was removed from France squad
- Man United star was diagnosed on Thursday - days after going out in London
- Pogba was seen out at a swanky restaurant with his pregnant wife last weekend
- The Frenchman will now miss the start of United's pre-season preparations
- The news about Pogba comes after Chelsea were rocked by six positive tests
PUBLISHED: 13:14 BST, 27 August 2020 | UPDATED: 16:06 BST, 27 August 2020
Manchester United star Paul Pogba is the latest Premier League player to test positive for coronavirus after Chelsea's pre-season preparations were thrown into chaos by six players contracting the infection.
Pogba, United's £89million record signing, will now have to spend 14 days in self-isolation, meaning he will miss the start of the pre-season preparations next Wednesday.
World Cup winner Pogba, 27, had remained in England during his time off and was pictured enjoying a night out at the swanky Cipriani Restaurant in London on Saturday night with his heavily pregnant wife Maria Zulay Salaues and friends.
Paul Pogba (centre right) has tested positive for coronavirus after being pictured on a night out at a London restaurant with his pregnant wife Maria (centre left) and friends on Saturday
Pogba has stayed in England and went to Cipriani restaurant in Mayfair on the weekend
Man United midfielder has been removed from France squad and will miss start of pre-season
Pogba posed for a snap with a young fan earlier this week and shared it on his Instagram story
England and Manchester United defender, Harry Maguire, has been found guilty of that charges against him and has been handed a suspended sentence by the Greek courts
United are the latest Premier League club to be hit with a coronavirus setback and told Sportsmail: 'Paul has been replaced in the French squad after testing positive for Covid-19. Everybody at United wishes him a speedy recovery ahead of the new season.'
The news comes after Chelsea confirmed a number of players have tested positive for Covid-19 and are in quarantine to limit the threat of further spreading among Frank Lampard's squad.
Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham, Christian Pulisic and Fikayo Tomori are all understood to be in self-isolation after they were pictured on holiday on the Greek island of Mykonos before pre-season training began last weekend.
Christian Pulisic, Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori are pictured in Mykonos together
Pulisic and Mason Mount (right, with Didier Drogba) took their off-season holidays in Mykonos
Ross Barkley is pictured at a beach bar in Mykonos during Chelsea's off-season break
Jorginho, Ross Barkley, Emerson and Michy Batshuayi are also reported to be staying away from Chelsea's Cobham base.
It is not known which of the players have tested positive. The Telegraph report that six players have the virus and a further two are quarantining because of close contact with those affected.
Pogba's positive test will come as a bitter blow for United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who is also expected to be without Aaron Wan-Bissaka for the beginning of their pre-season training after he failed to follow his club's advice by travelling to Dubai.
As Sportsmail revealed, the England ace flew to the popular holiday destination at the end of United's season and must now self-isolate for 14 days upon his return.
Tomori posted this photo from the SantAnna beach club in Mykonos last week
Michy Batshuayi (left) has been in France, while Jorginho (right) returned to Italy on holiday
The news about Pogba also comes on the week United captain Harry Maguire was found guilty of assaulting police, verbal abuse, and attempted bribery by a court on the island of Syros, in Greece. He is appealing the verdicts.
Maguire was given a 21-month suspended sentence after being convicted of all charges after the brawl in Mykonos and has been urged to apologise.
Despite the verdict handed down by the Greek courts - which subsequently saw Maguire dropped from Gareth Southgate's England squad - United have no immediate plans to strip him of the captaincy.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka is facing a period of 14 days in quarantine after travelling out to Dubai
Pogba's positive test comes in the same week Harry Maguire was convicted in Greek courts
The United star has maintained his innocence and his legal team have launched an appeal but a backlog in the Greek legal process means it could take 18 months or longer before the defender has the chance to clear his name.
Pogba, meanwhile, has been replaced by Eduardo Camavinga in the France squad for their upcoming Nations League matches next month against Sweden and Croatia following his positive test result.
Tottenham midfielder and Pogba's compatriot Tanguy Ndombele will also not be called up to Didier Deschamps' squad after being diagnosed with the virus.
France boss Deschamps confirmed Pogba's withdrawal from the squad on Thursday, saying: 'I had to make a last-minute change to this list, because Paul Pogba was planned to be in this list but, unfortunately for him, he took a test (for COVID-19) yesterday which turned out to be positive today, so at the last minute he was replaced by Eduardo Camavinga.'
Pogba pictured playing against compatriot Tanguy Ndombele (right) for United last year
France stars Ndombele (left) and Pogba will now miss next month's Nations League games
Pogba, United's £89million record signing, will now have to spend 14 days in self-isolation, meaning he will miss the start of the pre-season preparations next Wednesday.
World Cup winner Pogba, 27, had remained in England during his time off and was pictured enjoying a night out at the swanky Cipriani Restaurant in London on Saturday night with his heavily pregnant wife Maria Zulay Salaues and friends.
Paul Pogba (centre right) has tested positive for coronavirus after being pictured on a night out at a London restaurant with his pregnant wife Maria (centre left) and friends on Saturday
Pogba has stayed in England and went to Cipriani restaurant in Mayfair on the weekend
Man United midfielder has been removed from France squad and will miss start of pre-season
Pogba posed for a snap with a young fan earlier this week and shared it on his Instagram story
England and Manchester United defender, Harry Maguire, has been found guilty of that charges against him and has been handed a suspended sentence by the Greek courts
United are the latest Premier League club to be hit with a coronavirus setback and told Sportsmail: 'Paul has been replaced in the French squad after testing positive for Covid-19. Everybody at United wishes him a speedy recovery ahead of the new season.'
The news comes after Chelsea confirmed a number of players have tested positive for Covid-19 and are in quarantine to limit the threat of further spreading among Frank Lampard's squad.
Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham, Christian Pulisic and Fikayo Tomori are all understood to be in self-isolation after they were pictured on holiday on the Greek island of Mykonos before pre-season training began last weekend.
Christian Pulisic, Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori are pictured in Mykonos together
Pulisic and Mason Mount (right, with Didier Drogba) took their off-season holidays in Mykonos
Ross Barkley is pictured at a beach bar in Mykonos during Chelsea's off-season break
Jorginho, Ross Barkley, Emerson and Michy Batshuayi are also reported to be staying away from Chelsea's Cobham base.
It is not known which of the players have tested positive. The Telegraph report that six players have the virus and a further two are quarantining because of close contact with those affected.
Pogba's positive test will come as a bitter blow for United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who is also expected to be without Aaron Wan-Bissaka for the beginning of their pre-season training after he failed to follow his club's advice by travelling to Dubai.
As Sportsmail revealed, the England ace flew to the popular holiday destination at the end of United's season and must now self-isolate for 14 days upon his return.
Tomori posted this photo from the SantAnna beach club in Mykonos last week
Michy Batshuayi (left) has been in France, while Jorginho (right) returned to Italy on holiday
The news about Pogba also comes on the week United captain Harry Maguire was found guilty of assaulting police, verbal abuse, and attempted bribery by a court on the island of Syros, in Greece. He is appealing the verdicts.
Maguire was given a 21-month suspended sentence after being convicted of all charges after the brawl in Mykonos and has been urged to apologise.
Despite the verdict handed down by the Greek courts - which subsequently saw Maguire dropped from Gareth Southgate's England squad - United have no immediate plans to strip him of the captaincy.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka is facing a period of 14 days in quarantine after travelling out to Dubai
Pogba's positive test comes in the same week Harry Maguire was convicted in Greek courts
The United star has maintained his innocence and his legal team have launched an appeal but a backlog in the Greek legal process means it could take 18 months or longer before the defender has the chance to clear his name.
Pogba, meanwhile, has been replaced by Eduardo Camavinga in the France squad for their upcoming Nations League matches next month against Sweden and Croatia following his positive test result.
Tottenham midfielder and Pogba's compatriot Tanguy Ndombele will also not be called up to Didier Deschamps' squad after being diagnosed with the virus.
France boss Deschamps confirmed Pogba's withdrawal from the squad on Thursday, saying: 'I had to make a last-minute change to this list, because Paul Pogba was planned to be in this list but, unfortunately for him, he took a test (for COVID-19) yesterday which turned out to be positive today, so at the last minute he was replaced by Eduardo Camavinga.'
Pogba pictured playing against compatriot Tanguy Ndombele (right) for United last year
France stars Ndombele (left) and Pogba will now miss next month's Nations League games
Source : Daily Mail
