Five La Liga players test positive for coronavirus

10 May 2020 - 16:31
By Reuters
FC Barcelona's Arturo Vidal wearing a protective face mask and gloves at Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper training ground for Covid-19 tests following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease  in Barcelona, Spain, on May 6, 2020.
Image: Miguel Ruiz/FC Barcelona/Handout via REUTERS. FC Barcelona's Arturo Vidal wearing a protective face mask and gloves at Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper training ground for Covid-19 tests following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease in Barcelona, Spain, on May 6, 2020.

Five players in Spain's top two divisions have tested positive for Covid-19 since clubs began testing players and staff members last week, organising body La Liga said in a statement on Sunday.

La Liga said the players would remain at their homes where they would continue individual training before being tested again "in the next few days" to determine whether they can return to their club's training ground.

Many clubs including champions Barcelona have returned to individual training as part of the second stage of La Liga's four-phase protocol for getting back to activity after play was halted in early March due to the pandemic.

Real Madrid are due to resume training for the first time in two months on Monday, while La Liga has said it hopes matches will resume, without spectators, by June.