Cases of coronavirus are multiplying within the workforce of Ligue 1, enough to disrupt the preparations of the clubs and question the conditions under which the championship can resume next weekend. Latest example to date, that of FC Nantes captain Abdoulaye Touré, who tested positive for Covid-19, we learned from the club on Saturday. He is the seventh Nantes player to be affected since the end of July.
Like Marcus Coco, Ludovic Blas and the other players who have tested positive in recent weeks, the defensive midfielder, who was on the pitch a week earlier in Avranches, was not part of the squad that won 3-1 against Le Havre in the preparation in La Baule. Given the medical protocol put in place in Nantes, the group will be further reduced to launch its season next Saturday on the Bordeaux ground.
In addition to being in isolation as long as the player is positive, this protocol requires extensive cardiac examinations at least one month after the first positive test, even in the absence of symptoms, before any resumption of training. Considering the “re-athletic” time frame, a positive player may be unavailable for at least six weeks.
"We are always 11 in the field"
To avoid new cases, the club has nevertheless adopted a strict protocol in recent weeks: limited training, changing rooms and catering closed, contacts with the press only by phone even during matches ...
Saturday afternoon, Christian Gourcuff was however able to count on several holders in form, such as winger Moses Simon and midfielder Imran Louza, while the new entrants have proven their worth, like Bridge Ndilu, author of the 3rd Nantes goal in the very last minutes.
“We are still 11 on the pitch. What we presented is quite correct, even if we are not going to gargle, ”argued the Breton coach. “The players work every day in training. It is an advantage to have very clear options. But then there are the circumstances. If there are players who are absent, the others return, they know their role, ”he assured.
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The Nantes club is far from being the only Ligue 1 team to have to deal with so many absences. On Saturday, Strasbourg was beaten by Metz in a friendly for its last preparation match, being deprived of nine players who tested positive.