Milan defender Theo Hernandez tests positive for COVID-19

By Sports Desk October 13, 2021

Milan have confirmed left-back Theo Hernandez has tested positive for COVID-19.

The 24-year-old played a crucial role in France's Nations League success, scoring a dramatic 90th-minute winner in the 3-2 semi-final victory over Belgium before assisting Kylian Mbappe's decisive strike in the 2-1 final triumph over Spain.

The showpiece contest against Luis Enrique's Spain was held in Milan, meaning Hernandez was able to stay in the city as he returned to his club side.

However, he is now set to miss the visit of Hellas Verona on Saturday as club action resumes.

Hernandez has enjoyed a fine start to the season with Milan, leading the Rossoneri in Serie A for assists (three) and expected assists (1.39) while also scoring once.

Fode Ballo-Toure would appear Hernandez's most likely deputy as second-placed Milan look to close the two-point gap to leaders Napoli.

Stefano Pioli's side are unbeaten this season, earning 19 points from seven matches. Victory would make this their best start through eight games in the three-points-per-win era.

Related items

  • St Louis' perfect start ended by Minnesota, Bernardeschi nets Olimpico for Toronto St Louis' perfect start ended by Minnesota, Bernardeschi nets Olimpico for Toronto

    Expansion franchise St Louis City's perfect start to their inaugural MLS season was ended by Minnesota United who triumphed 1-0 after Luis Amarilla's 78th-minute penalty on Saturday.

    City had made MLS history by winning their first five games but that was ended by the Loons with Amarilla drilling home the spot kick after a needless challenge by Kyle Hiebert.

    Hiebert brought down Amarilla just inside the box with a rash tackle when Jakob Nerwinski appeared to have Kervin Arriaga's wayward pass under control.

    Substitute Samuel Adeniran came closest to equalising for St Louis, with a 95th-minute shot going over the bar after a great first touch from Klauss' right-wing cut back.

    St Louis remain top of the table with 15 points from six games, but unbeaten Minnesota climb up to fourth in the Western Conference.

    Cincinnati continued their impressive start to the season with a 1-0 home triumph over Inter Miami who slumped to their fourth straight defeat.

    Yerson Mosquera scored the 45th-minute winner for Cincy, who are top of the Eastern Conference.

    Giorgos Giakoumakis scored an early winner as Atlanta United moved up to second in the East with a 1-0 home win over New York Red Bulls, who are down in 12th in that conference.

    Jordan Morris and Leo Chu scored first-half goals as Seattle Sounders stayed second in the West with a 2-1 victory at LA Galaxy, who are without a win and have only three points from five games.

    LAFC remained unbeaten and third in the West despite a 0-0 draw at the winless Colorado Rapids, while SJ Earthquakes climbed to fifth with a 2-1 victory over Houston Dynamo with all three goals coming from penalties.

    Vancouver Whitecaps snapped a run of three straight draws with a resounding 5-0 win over 10-man Montreal with Simon Becher scoring a double. Becher is the fastest player (87 minutes) in MLS history to score his first four goals.

    Franck Boli rescued a 1-1 draw for Portland Timbers at Dallas, Chicago Fire and DC United drew 0-0 and Nashville triumphed 2-0 at Orlando City.

    Federico Bernardeschi netted another spectacular goal with a strike straight from a corner in Toronto's 2-2 home draw with Charlotte.

    Sporting KC remained winless after a 0-0 draw at Philadelphia Union, New England drew 1-1 with New York City and Real Salt Lake suffered their fourth straight loss, going down 4-0 to Columbus Crew.

  • Allegri storms out of Juventus win before final whistle - 'We didn't play very well' Allegri storms out of Juventus win before final whistle - 'We didn't play very well'

    Juventus head coach Massimiliano Allegri says his side "didn’t play very well" leading to him storming down the tunnel before full-time in their 1-0 home win over Verona.

    The Bianconeri secured their fifth straight win in all competitions with Moise Kean's 55th-minute strike the difference.

    But Allegri was unimpressed with his side and stormed down the post-side tunnel before the full-time whistle.

    "We didn't play very well and I think in the last five minutes we had to go and score a second goal, keep pushing them and maintain the pressure," Allegri told Sky Sport Italia.

    "It doesn't seem like much five minutes, but all Verona needed was a long ball into the box and anything could happen. We could've been here licking our wounds if they had equalised.

    "It was a complicated match, as they always are after the international break. It was a tough game and we knew it was going to be because Verona make you play badly, they press all over the pitch.

    "That's why we were blocked in the opening minutes, then we managed to move the ball around and create chances.

    "We could have done better once we had taken the lead and double our advantage, without giving them a chance to get near our area. It's something we need to improve on."

    The win keeps Juventus in the hunt for European qualification, although their 15-point deduction, means they are seventh on 44 points. Juve (44) are behind fourth-placed Milan (48), Atalanta (48) and Roma (47) in the race for Europe, with all but Atalanta having a game in hand.

    Allegri was quick to point out if not for that deduction they would be on 59 points and subsequently second in Serie A. Juve will have their appeal against that penalty heard on April 19.

    "This result means we have earned 59 points on the field, closing the gap on Inter and momentarily on Milan and Lazio," he said.

    "We've got Inter on Tuesday in the Coppa Italia and then Lazio on Saturday, so we’ve got to be ready.

    "In football if you have a good run of results, that allows you to catch up pretty quickly. We have to take it one step at a time.

    "The 'real' table that we see there shows we are still four points off the Champions League spots and that is a lot."

  • Lukaku's profligacy frustrates Inter coach Inzaghi Lukaku's profligacy frustrates Inter coach Inzaghi

    Simone Inzaghi did not hide his frustration at Romelu Lukaku's struggles in front of goal after Inter lost 1-0 to Fiorentina on Saturday.

    Inter's losing streak in Serie A was extended to their worst in six years as Giacomo Bonaventura's second-half header proved decisive at San Siro.

    The Nerazzurri have now lost three straight top flight matches, with Bonaventura's winner coming shortly after a woeful miss from Lukaku.

    Having rediscovered his goalscoring touch while on international duty with Belgium, Lukaku was unable to transfer that form across to his club side as he failed to hit the target from close range with the goal gaping.

    No Inter player had more shots than his three, with Lukaku not managing to get any of them on target, despite accumulating 1.2 expected goals.

    While not pinning the blame entirely on Lukaku – who is reported to have confronted Inzaghi about a lack of opportunities while he has been fit this season – Inter's coach was quick to point out the importance of those misses.

    Speaking to DAZN, Inzaghi said: "If he had scored those chances, Lukaku's performance would be judged in a very different way.

    "His role is to create the opportunities, make the movements that the team needs.

    "He wasn't the only one who had chances today, so I wouldn't focus only on Romelu."

    Inzaghi also stressed he is ultimately responsible for turning Inter's fortunes around. 

    "There is great disappointment, we lost two consecutive home matches," he said. "We need to work more, starting with me.

    "At the moment, we need to be more determined, because we had so many chances to score and we should have done.

    "I cannot ask for more in terms of effort, as the players did everything I asked of them."

    Inzaghi is not wrong. While Fiorentina had more shots (19 to 16) and got the same number of attempts on target (three each), Inter finished with a 2.8 xG compared to the visitors' 1.2, suggesting the quality of opportunities that went their way was far greater.

    Lukaku's glaring miss came from by far the best opportunity of the match, with Opta's model estimating the chance would be converted 92 per cent of the time (0.92 xG).

    The 29-year-old's future is uncertain. He is on loan at Inter, but due to return to parent club Chelsea at the end of the season.

    Before the match, Inter chief Giuseppe Marotta told DAZN: "[Lukaku's] love for the Inter jersey is 10 out of 10, we'll evaluate the prospects with Chelsea."

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.