Borussia Dortmund defender Manuel Akanji tests positive for COVID-19

Borussia Dortmund defender Manuel Akanji is in quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19 while on international duty with Switzerland.

The Swiss Football Association released a statement on Wednesday evening saying that Manuel Akanji is in isolation after testing positive for the coronavirus. Their announcement came just before Switzerland’s friendly against Croatia in St. Gallen, which is still going ahead after consultation with the authorities. The Borussia Dortmund centre back returned a negative test directly after the Black and Yellows’ win over SC Freiburg on Saturday, and is showing no symptoms of the disease.

He becomes Switzerland’s second player to test positive for COVID-19 after it was announced on Tuesday that Xherdan Shaqiri had also returned a positive test. Although the Swiss Football Association says that Akanji’s infection cannot be traced back to the Liverpool forward.

At the moment it remains to be seen just how long Akanji will be out for. The protocol is that he will now have to quarantine for 14 days, which could see him miss Borussia Dortmund’s Bundesliga clash against TSG Hoffenheim on October 17, and their UEFA Champions League opener against Lazio just three days later. The club announced that they are inconstant communication with the Swiss national team and the government authorities in the country.

Akanji has started all five of Borussia Dortmund’s games so far this season. And him being out would leave Lucien Favre’s side with just one specialist centre back in Mats Hummels, with Dan Axel Zagadou also out with a long term injury.

Let’s hope that Akanji has a speedy recovery from COVID-19, and we get to see him back on the pitch for Borussia Dortmund in the coming weeks.