Spain were due to play their final warm-up game before the Euros on Tuesday against Lithuania but will play the Spain Under-21s instead.
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Spain’s preparations for the European Championship are in chaos after Sergio Busquets tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday morning. Thus, the entire squad is now in isolation. Spain also pulled out of their final warm-up game against Lithuania on Tuesday.
Busquets will need to be in isolation for 10 days, and his participation in the European tournament is in doubt. The midfielder will miss the team’s opener against Sweden on 14 June in Seville.
Spain coach Luis Enrique picked only 24 players for his squad instead of the 26 allowed for each team. He said he didn’t want to have too many players and he might regret it.
But all other players in the Spanish squad tested negative for the virus, the federation said.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation’s (RFEF) statement read: “The RFEF regrets to announce that its captain Sergio Busquets has given a positive result in the last PCR test that was carried out this morning at the national team training camp in Las Rozas. The rest of the members of the camp have all tested negative.
? COMUNICADO OFICIAL | Sergio Busquets
La RFEF lamenta comunicar que su capitán Sergio Busquets ha resultado positivo en los últimos test PCR realizados esta mañana en la concentración de la Selección nacional en Las Rozas.
ℹ️ Más información: https://t.co/SpLrAn0mEC pic.twitter.com/GabI1o8KLg
— Selección Española de Fútbol (@SeFutbol) June 6, 2021
“The federation’s medical services have adopted all the necessary measures in a case of these characteristics in accordance with the protocols established by both the Ministry of Health and UEFA, so that the footballer has left the camp in a medical vehicle.”
The federation also said Busquets left the team’s training camp in Madrid on Sunday after the positive test was revealed. Everyone else in close contact with the Barcelona player is also in isolation. This is as per UEFA and local health safety protocols.
Other national teams’ preparations could potentially also be affected. Busquets played for Spain in the warm-up match against Portugal on Friday in Madrid. Thus, there could be more positive tests to come.
