3 Scots to miss Euro soccer playoff against Israel after positive virus test
Match with Jewish state will decide who plays Norway or Serbia for a spot in the European championship
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One day before the UEFA European 2020 qualifying match between Israel and Scotland, Scottish soccer chiefs have announced three of their players — Stuart Armstrong, Kieran Tierney and Ryan Christie — will miss the upcoming game after one player tested positive for coronavirus.
Thursday’s game in Hampden Park in Glasgow will determine who can advance to the final qualifying match in November against Norway or Serbia to enter the European soccer championship, which has been postponed due to coronavirus.
The Scottish Football Association said Armstrong, a midfielder for Southampton in England, had returned a negative test for COVID-19 on Monday but a supplementary UEFA test returned a positive result.
“Stuart will self-isolate for 10 days from the date of the test — Tuesday, 6 October — and will now be unavailable for the forthcoming international matches,” the FA said in a statement.
All other members of the squad returned negative tests but the FA said the two other players, along with two members of the backroom staff, had been identified as close contacts.
“As a consequence, Kieran Tierney and Ryan Christie, along with one physiotherapist and one masseur, will require to self-isolate for 14 days as of yesterday (Tuesday), and will also miss the forthcoming matches,” the statement said.
It means all three players will also miss Nations League matches against Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
The Times of Israel Community.