Coronavirus scare for Rangers key player on international duty as team-mate tests positive for Covid-19

Borna Barisic tested negative for coronavirus but a Croatian team-mate test positive. Picture: SNS

However, one member of the Croatian squad has been required to self-isolate in Istanbul following Wednesday’s draw with Turkey after receiving a positive test.

Defender Domagoj Vida played 45 minutes in the 3-3 draw with the medical team getting a “suspicious” finding on his test from Wednesday morning.

The player was replaced at half-time with the positive confirmation coming later in the evening.

Domagoj Vida tested positive for coronavirus. Picture: SNS

Barisic didn’t feature in the match but was named amongst the substitutes.

The good news for Rangers is that the player’s Wednesday test came back negative and he will travel to Stockholm as planned for the Sweden game.

Croatia are then due to play Portugal next Tuesday before Barisic is due back at Ibrox ahead of Rangers’ clash with Aberdeen a week on Sunday.

What Croatia have said

A statement from the Croatian FA said: “Immediately after midnight local time in Istanbul, the medical service of the Croatian national football team received the results of testing for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, among which was a positive finding among the players.

“After all the players and staff members were negative in the regular test for the match with Turkey on Monday, the regular test for the match with Sweden was conducted on Wednesday morning. HNS received the official test results after midnight local time and showed that national team member Domagoj Vida is positive for the new coronavirus.

“The medical service of the Croatian national team received initial information at the end of the break between the two halves that there was one potentially positive result. This is a common testing procedure, and a "suspicious" finding is retested to confirm the result.

“As the selector Zlatko Dalić had already made a decision to change Vida at that time, the medical service of the national team isolated Vida according to all epidemiological measures until the test results were confirmed.

“Vida will, in accordance with regulations, spend the next few days in self-isolation in Istanbul.

“All other national team members and staff members, who tested negative, will travel to Stockholm as planned. It is taken into account that the national team complied with all epidemiological measures, in accordance with Uefa's Return to Play protocol.”