Coronavirus: Bundesliga player becomes first footballer in Germany to test positive for Covid-19

The second-tier defender is thought to have contracted the virus at an event in nearby Hildesheim

Karl Matchett
Wednesday 11 March 2020 13:47 GMT
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Hannover player Timo Hubers tests positive for coronavirus
Hannover player Timo Hubers tests positive for coronavirus (Bongarts/Getty Images)

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A first professional footballer in Germany has tested positive for coronavirus, it has been confirmed.

Hannover 96 defender Timo Hubers was tested after attending an event locally, where he learned he was in contact with another person who had tested positive.

The club say that their 23-year-old centre-back has not had any contact with his team-mates since the event and he remains in quarantine, showing no symptoms so far despite the positive test.

Hannover’s entire squad and coaching staff are also being tested, though they are continuing to train normally at present.

The second-tier side face Dynamo Dresden on Sunday and say Hubers will not be available for the game, but the rest of the team are preparing to play.

Hubers himself had only recently returned to action, playing three successive games after having missed the entirety of the season up until mid-February due to surgery on a knee injury.

The Bundesliga has already confirmed a large number of games will be played behind closed doors across the top two divisions, though Hannover’s match is not one of them.

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