Four players stood down from Sunday's match after being classed as close contacts with individual who tested positive
Monday 12 October 2020 07:52, UK
Five Republic of Ireland players have been ruled out of Sunday's Nations League match against Wales after one of them tested positive for coronavirus.
The player in question tested negative for the virus on Monday, before returning a positive test on Friday.
Four other players, who have been identified as close contacts with the individual, have been stood down from Sunday's match, according to an FAI statement.
PA Media are reporting that the four other players are John Egan, Callum Robinson, Callum O'Dowda and Alan Browne.
The statement read: "Stephen Kenny's Ireland squad has received one positive COVID-19 test result ahead of today's Nations League game against Wales at the Aviva Stadium, after the latest round of UEFA testing.
"A player - who cannot be named at this time - tested positive on Friday after a negative test on Monday but his case is not related in any way to that of the backroom team member who tested positive on Monday last.
"Talks with the HSE late last night identified four other players as close contacts of this positive case and they have been stood down from the matchday squad for today's game against Wales."
The news comes three days after strikers Aaron Connolly and Adam Idah were withdrawn from the squad - Connolly had been due to start - hours before the Euro 2020 play-off semi-final clash with Slovakia, which Ireland went on to lose 4-2 on penalties.
That decision was taken after a non-football staff member had tested positive in Bratislava with both players having sat close to him on the flight out of Dublin.
However, the FAI has revealed that test had actually produced a "false positive" result.
The statement continued: "In a separate development, the FAI can now reveal that the staff member who tested positive for COVID-19 in Bratislava on Wednesday, may have received a 'false positive' result.
"Two further tests carried out on the individual on Saturday have confirmed no trace of COVID-19. The HSE and UEFA have been informed of this result. The FAI will now discuss the issue with UEFA.
"In light of these developments, the FAI wishes to make it clear that it complied with all UEFA and HSE COVID-19 guidelines concerning the availability of players and the well-being of staff around the Slovakia v Republic of Ireland fixture in Bratislava on Thursday night."
The development has left manager Kenny facing a major reshuffle ahead of the Wales game and the trip to Finland which follows on Wednesday evening.
Speaking to Sky Sports before the Wales game, Kenny said: "We got some results nearly into midnight last night, so five of the players are not available today.
"To be honest with you, we haven't had any coronavirus in the camp at all - the previous case was a false positive, so all of the other arrangements that we've made were in vain, really, because it was a false positive, so this is the first case we've had. We haven't had it at all.
"Unfortunately, we've had a case and four close contacts on the flight. Four who would have been starting today, actually, in the team that we were picking are out today, so that's the way it is. We just have to contend with that."
