Inter Milan’s Serie A clash with Sassuolo postponed due to Covid-19 cases

Inter Milan’s Serie A match at home to Sassuolo on Saturday has been postponed and their players will be pulled out of international duty after two more positive COVID-19 cases at the club.

Stefan de Vrij and Matias Vecino tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Thursday, joining captain Samir Handanovic and Danilo DâAmbrosio in quarantine at home.

Local health authorities requested that the Sassuolo match be cancelled. 

Inter Milan’s top players have been banned from travelling for international matches

Inter’s Serie A clash with Sassuolo has been called off due to Covid-19 outbreak in their squad

Stefan de Vrij was one of two players to have tested positive for Covid-19 from the latest tests

‘Having been informed of the new positive cases, the ATS of Milan (health authority) has decided on the immediate suspension of any type of team activity for four days, including Sunday 21 March,’ said an Inter statement.

‘Inter v Sassuolo, scheduled for Saturday 20 March 2021, is to be postponed and players are prohibited from fulfilling any call-ups to their respective national teams.’

Serie A has yet to confirm Saturday’s match has been called off. 

The Sassuolo match was due to be Inter’s last Serie A game until the weekend of April 3 due to the upcoming international break. 

Christian Eriksen will now miss start of Denmark’s World Cup qualifying campaign this month

Inter’s Nico Barella (centre) and Alessandro Bastoni (third from the left) will also miss Italy’s upcoming qualifiers along with team-mate Danilo D’Ambrosio (not pictured)

The news that Inter’s international stars have been banned from travelling will come as huge blow for many national teams with their World Cup qualifying campaigns starting after this weekend’s matches.

It means Belgium will have to face Wales, Czech Republic and Belarus without star striker Romelu Lukaku while Denmark will also have to cope without playmaker Christian Eriksen for their first three qualifiers.

Italy will also have three regular starters in Nico Barella, Alessandro Bastoni and Danilo D’Ambrosio absent for their matches with against Northern Ireland, Bulgaria and Lithuania. 

Inter, who are top of the Serie A standings, nine points clear of rivals AC Milan in second and 10 ahead of champions Juventus in third, have said they will test their whole squad again on Monday. 

The news of Inter’s stars being banned from international games will be a huge blow to Roberto Martinez, whose Belgium side must play three World Cup qualifiers without Lukaku

Denmark and Slovakia are losing key players in Christian Erisken (L) and Milan Skriniar (R)