Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Arsenal’s Mohamed Elneny will fly back to the UK on a private jet from Egypt on Friday after returning further positive tests for coronavirus, according to the Egyptian Football Association.
Both players have been self-isolating after testing positive while on international duty and were checked again on Thursday, returning another positive swab.
Salah, who initially tested positive for coronavirus last Friday, has missed Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations two qualifiers against Togo.
The pair will now return to the UK, where they will be tested on arrival and must complete their 10-day isolation period, as outlined by the UK government’s coronavirus rules.
Salah is expected to be ruled out of Liverpool’s match with Leicester in the Premier League on Sunday, live on Sky Sports Premier League.
In a statement on Thursday, the Egyptian FA said: “The Egyptian Federation has been in constant contact and coordination with the two clubs since each of them was infected with coronavirus.
“Communication was made through captain Mohamed Fadl, a member of the five-year committee in charge of managing the Federation’s affairs at the administrative level, and Dr. Muhammad Abu Al-Ela, the doctor of the national team at the medical level, while the two players made a new swab for each. Both of them today were positive.”
Salah is the fourth Liverpool first-team player to test positive for coronavirus this season, following Thiago in September and then Sadio Mane and Xherdan Shaqiri in October.
Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac has also tested positive for Covid-19 while on international duty with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Kolasinac and international team-mate Ibrahim Sehic both missed Wednesday’s game against Italy.
