Ilkay Gundogan becomes latest Man City player to test positive for Covid-19

Pep Guardiola has been handed another headache on the eve of Manchester City’s opening game against Wolves on Monday night after Ilkay Gundogan became his latest player to test positive for coronavirus.

Gundogan is understood to have record a positive result during testing on Friday and the Germany midfielder has now gone into self-isolation for 10 days.

It means he will be unavailable for City’s first Premier League match at Molineux in addition to Thursday’s Carabao Cup third round tie against Bournemouth and the visit of Leicester in the league three days later.

Gundogan is the third City player to test positive for Covid-19 this month after Aymeric Laporte and Riyad Mahrez. Laporte only returned to training on Friday and Guardiola said he would be unavailable for Wolves. Mahrez is expected to be included in City’s squad.

“Manchester City can confirm that Ilkay Gundogan has tested positive for Covid-19,” the club said in a statement on Monday.

“Ilkay is now observing a 10-day period of self-isolation in accordance with Premier League and UK Government protocol on quarantine.

“Everyone at the Club wishes Ilkay a speedy recovery.“

City were already without striker Sergio Aguero owing to the knee injury the Argentine suffered in June and subsequently had surgery on. Guardiola said Aguero would be out for a month to two months.