The FIGC have confirmed two members of the Italy staff have tested positive for COVID-19 and more checks are being performed after rumours five players had caught the Coronavirus ahead of the World Cup play-offs.
There was panic when Dario Marcolin, who worked with Roberto Mancini at Inter, told Radio Kiss Kiss that he heard rumours of two members of staff and five players testing positive at the Coverciano training ground.
Within minutes, the Federation released a statement confirming two members of staff have tested positive and were placed in self-isolation.
Rumours of five players with COVID in Italy’s World Cup play-off squad
The statement also hints that “other positive cases emerged” in the support staff that organises behind the scenes for the Nazionale and they too were not allowed into the training ground.
Further “targeted tests” are being performed on players who had COVID cases within their clubs.
This would include Inter, as Lautaro Martinez and Matias Vecino already had to pull out of international duty with Argentina and Uruguay respectively after testing positive for COVID-19.
Manuel Locatelli of Juventus tested positive last week and will join the squad when he has recovered.
It is particularly worrying for Italy, because they face North Macedonia on Thursday in Palermo.
The winners of that game go on to play either Portugal or Turkey for a place at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.