Inter players were subjected to further COVID-19 testing today with the results set to be discovered tomorrow, according to a leading Italian journalist.
Samir Handanovic tonight became the second Nerazzurri player to test positive for the virus this week, following Danilo D’Ambrosio’s diagnosis yesterday.
As per La Repubblica reporter Franco Vanni on Twitter, Inter’s players all trained today as normal with the exception of D’Ambrosio and Handanovic, as well as the injured Arturo Vidal.
Handanovic did not take part in training because he did not feel as if he was in perfect form and learned of his positive test while at home this evening.
None of the Inter players who trained showed any symptoms of COVID-19 and at lunchtime the squad were given molecular tests, with results expected tomorrow.
As per reports elsewhere tonight, Ionut Radu is expected to replace Handanovic for Saturday’s Serie A fixture against Sassuolo, while the Slovenian’s captain’s armband will likely go to Marcelo Brozovic, Milan Skriniar or Nicolo Barella.
Another report in the Italian media has confirmed that besides D’Ambrosio and Handanovic, the only other positive case at Inter now is with their chief executive Beppe Marotta, as sporting director Piero Ausilio is now negative again.
Former Juventus executive Marotta has been suffering from COVID-19 for a considerable amount of time and was recently hospitalised as a precaution.
Oggi pomeriggio a parte D’Ambrosio (a casa), Handanovic (a casa dal mattino) e Vidal (alla Pinetina per fisio) i giocatori dell’ #Inter si sono allenati. Nessuno aveva sintomi. All’ora di pranzo sono stati fatti a tutti tamponi molecolari, i cui esiti si avranno domani mattina
— franco vanni (@franvanni) March 17, 2021