Striker Patson Daka and midfielder Enock Mwepu will not travel for Chipolopolo’s October international friendly series due to a health embargo imposed by their club.
Austrian champions RB Salzburg activated a provisional FIFA clause that allows clubs not to release players during the October international match window on Covid-19 grounds.
Salzburg said in a statement that it had three positive Coronavirus cases following their mid-week UEFA Champions League playoff match against Maccabi Tel Aviv of Israel who had travelled to Austria for the final leg meeting without ten players who had tested positive.
Meanwhile, Daka and Mwepu are in the clear and featured in Sunday’s 7-1 home win over Hartberg in which the Chipolopolo striker scored a brace and played the full 90 minutes for the leaders.
Mwepu also started the match but was substituted in the 78th minute.
Chipolopolo face Malawi in Lusaka on October 7 before travelling for two away games against Kenya on October 11 in Nairobi and South Africa on October 13 in Rustenburg.
Below is the full official statement from RB Salzburg:
The first round of Covid-19 tests after our UEFA Champions League play-off match against Maccabi Tel Aviv has seen three FC Red Bull Salzburg players test positive.
The players, who are all currently without symptoms, have gone straight into self-isolation and will not be available for the Austrian Bundesliga match against TSV Prolactal Hartberg. According to the Covid-19 prevention concept, the Austrian Bundesliga, Austrian football association and the relevant health authorities have been informed.
TEAM IN QUARANTINE
The rest of our squad have begun a team quarantine according to the prevention concept. This means that they can only travel between their house, the training ground and match locations. No other contacts should be meed.
We will increasing our control efforts in the coming weeks.
NO INTERNATIONAL DUTY
In addition, all international call-ups for FC Red Bull Salzburg players in the next two weeks have been rejected. This is a standard procedure that is required as part of the Covid-19 prevention concept agreed between the Austrian Bundesliga, Austrian football association and Austrian authorities.
