Belgium’s national football squad will play against Iceland tonight in the UEFA Nations League despite Bruges centre-back Brandon Mechele’s positive coronavirus test on Sunday.
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) on Monday announced that “following the positive test at Covid-19 of Club Bruges player Brandon Mechele, all Belgian Red Devils and the staff will be tested again today,” adding that “this is in accordance with both UEFA and RBFA protocol,” they added.
It is unsure whether the test results will be available before the start of the match at 8:45 PM, according to Het Laatste Nieuws, but an RBFA spokesperson confirmed to The Brussels Times that, as it stands, the match should carry on.
Mechele must be isolated for at least eight days and will be able to resume collective training after a negative test.
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Mechele is officially the first active Red Devil to be diagnosed with coronavirus, though former international Marouane Fellaini tested positive in March.
Bruges underlined that “all the players of the Club had tested negative before their departure for the national team, just like Brandon Mechele.”
On Sunday, it came to light that 14 of the 22 players on Belgium’s under-17 squad had contracted coronavirus.
Jason Spinks
The Brussels Times
