- Title: Fellaini, Dybala and Maldini all test positive for coronavirus
- Date: 22nd March 2020
- Summary: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UK (FILE - SEPTEMBER 13, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF MAROUANE FELLAINI AND THEN MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER DAVID MOYES POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHS WITH TEAM SHIRT MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UK (FILE - SEPTEMBER 16, 2013) (REUTERS) FELLAINI TRAINING WITH MANCHESTER UNITED THEN MANCHESTER UNITED COACH DAVID MOYES FELLAINI TRAINING TUBIZE, BELGIUM (FILE - OCTOBER 11, 2018) (REUTERS) FELLAINI WALKING TO TRAINING PITCH FELLAINI JOGGING WITH BELGIAN SQUAD BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (FILE - AUGUST 13, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FELLAINI TRAINING WITH BELGIUM CARDIFF, WALES, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - JUNE 2, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PAULO DYBALA TRAINING WITH JUVENTUS AHEAD OF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL AGAINST REAL MADRID MADRID, SPAIN (SEPTEMBER 17, 2019) (REUTERS) JUVENTUS FORWARD, PAULO DYBALA, JOINING HIS TEAM MATES ON THE PITCH VARIOUS OF PLAYERS, INCLUDING DYBALA ON THE PITCH
- Embargoed: 5th April 2020 11:26
- Keywords: Coronavirus Covid-19 Daniel Maldini Marouane Fellaini Paolo Maldini
- Location: VARIOUS
- City: VARIOUS
- Country: Various
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001C64VBK7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Former Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini has been diagnosed with COVID-19 following his return to China, the Belgian's Chinese Super League club Shandong Luneng announced on its official website on Sunday (March 22).
Fellaini, who joined Shandong last January from the English Premier League side, returned to the country on Friday (March 20) to join up with his club and tested positive for the coronavirus.
The former Belgium international did not have a fever and was asymptomatic, the club said, and has now been placed in quarantine.
Chinese soccer has been hit hard by the outbreak, with the start of the Chinese Super League pushed back indefinitely from its intended Feb. 22 start date.
Fellaini, however, is the first player in the country's top flight to have returned a positive test for the virus.
Brazilian striker Dori, who plays for second division side Meizhou Hakka, was confirmed as having the virus last week while Spain-based China international Wu Lei said he was recovering from the condition on Saturday (March 21).
On Saturday, Juventus and Argentina forward Paulo Dybala tested positive for coronavirus but has no symptoms, making him one of the most high-profile players to be infected so far.
He is the third player at the club, one of the biggest in Europa and Italy's most successful in domestic terms, to test positive after midfielder Blaise Matuidi, a World Cup winner with France in 2018, and defender Daniele Rugani.
Italy is Europe's worst-affected country by the coronavirus and the death toll has leapt by 793 to 4,825, officials said on Saturday.
Around a dozen Serie A players have been reported as testing positive with Sampdoria and Fiorentina the other clubs affected.
The 26-year-old, nicknamed 'the Jewel', joined Juventus from Palermo in 2015 and has won a Serie A title in each of his seasons at the club. He has played 29 times for Argentina.
Dybala said on Instagram that his fiancee had also tested positive. "Luckily, we are in perfect condition," he said.
Later on Saturday it was confirmed by that AC Milan that former defender Paolo Maldini and his son Daniel, a current player for the same club, have both contracted the coronavirus.
Paolo Maldini, 51, a one-club player and current technical director at the club, is regarded as one of the best defenders Italy has ever produced and made a joint-record 647 Serie A appearances. Daniel, 18, made his AC Milan debut this season.
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