Five more players apart from Messi did not pass the PCR test

Not only was Leo Messi the only absence this Sunday morning in the PCR tests at the Ciutat Esportiva. Five more players from the squad were absent for one reason or another, but all with permission from the Blaugrana entity, unlike the Argentine star. The footballers who did not undergo the test and who, therefore, will not start training with their teammates on Monday are Miralem Pjanic, Philippe Coutinho, Samuel Umtiti, Frenkie de Jong and Semedo. In the case of the latter two, will undergo coronavirus tests when they reach their respective federations, Dutch and Portuguese, in this case.

Casualties of Pjanic and Umtiti they are due to covid 19. The two players tested positive and are confined to their homes, while Coutinho still has vacations until September 8, the date on which he will return to the Blaugrana discipline after the transfer to Bayern.

The rest of the players on the squad, including the internationals, went to the Blaugrana facilities this morning. The earliest risers were Jordi Alba and Martin Braithwaitewho showed up at the stroke of eight in the morning, when not even Ronald Koeman had arrived yet. From here, the rest of the players in the squad arrived in a staggered manner, who underwent a PCR test and a serological test.

It will not be the only control they do in the next few days: On Wednesday, September 2, they will pass a new test that allows them to exercise in a group. And it is that these first three days will train individually and keeping the safety distance of three meters.

Few troops, if anything, will count Koeman in his first week of work. As AS advanced, the Dutch coach will not be able to count on 18 players -13 internationals (Sergio Busquets, Fati, Riqui Puig, Aleñá, Peña, Miranda, Pedri, Trincao, Semedo, Braithwaite, De Jong, Lenglet and Griezmann) -; Umtiti and Pjanic, with coronavirus; Ter Stegen, injured; Coutinho, on vacation, and Messi, in absentia-, so you will only have 15 players to start the preseason: Neto, Araujo, Piqué, Wagué, Matheus, Sergi Roberto, Todibo, Alba, Junior, Rakitic, Vidal, Rafinha, Oriol Busquets, Dembélé and Suárez.