Boost for Arsenal as Olympiakos players' test negative for coronavirus

Premier League
By Mirror | Mar 11, 2020
Arsenal faced Olympiakos on February 27. [Courtesy]

Arsenal have received a boost after the Olympiakos playing squad tested negative for coronavirus.

The Gunners have placed some players and staff in self-isolation after coming in contact with Olympiakos owner Evangelos Marinakis - who has contracted COVID-19.

Marinakis was at the Emirates Stadium when his side played Arsenal in the Europa League on February 27.

Wednesday's Premier League clash with Man City was postponed as a result, but this weekend's trip to Brighton is set to go ahead.

And Olympiakos have confirmed none of their players have tested positive for the deadly virus.

A club statement read: "Olympiakos FC informs that after the required medical exams to which all the members of the football staff, as well as board members and staff, were submitted, all the tests came out negative for the COVID-19 virus."

The Greek side face Wolves in the Europa League behind closed doors in Athens on Thursday night.

Arsenal said "a number of players" were now self-isolating for 14 days and were thus unavailable for Wednesday night's game, triggering the Premier League's decision to postpone.

Olympiakos owner Evangelos Marinakis. [Courtesy]

"We have been taking medical advice and tracing any individuals who had what the (Government) guidelines define as close contact with him at the game 13 days ago.

"As a result of this exercise we identified that a number of players met the Olympiakos owner immediately following the game.

"The medical advice we have received puts the risk of them developing Covid-19 at extremely low. However, we are strictly following the Government guidelines which recommend that anyone coming into close contact with someone with the virus should self-isolate at home for 14 days from the last time they had contact."

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