As many as 11 key players of Ajax have tested positive for the Coronavirus ahead of Tuesday, November 3, 2020 Champions League clash against Midtjylland.
Ajax are third in Champions League Group D with one point from two matches, five points adrift of leaders Liverpool and three behind Atalanta.
Midtjylland are bottom having lost their first two games. The top two will qualify for the knockout stage.
According to Reuters, Ajax travelled to Denmark on Monday with only 17 players listed in the squad on their website.
The club, however, would not release the names of players with the virus due to privacy rules.
Ajax rocked by Coronavirus outbreak as ELEVEN players test positive for the virus.
Ajax have been forced to name just 17 players in their squad to play Midtjylland after 11 of their players tested positive for COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/oYYDcb84Pk
— vumaSPORT (@vumaSPORT) November 2, 2020
Under the rules of Europe’s football governing body, Ajax must play the game if 13 or more players on its A-list are available.
Skipper Dusan Tadic, goalkeeper Andre Onana and midfielders Davy Klaassen and Ryan Gravenberch were all expected to start the Group D match at Herning but were left out of the party.
Reserve goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg has also been omitted, leaving one keeper, Kjell Scherpen, for the trip, with Daley Blind, Nicolas Tagliafico and Edson Alvarez among the 17 players included in the roster.
Dutch media said secondary tests were being conducted on Monday for those affected in the hope that the results might turn out negative and more players would be able to travel to Denmark but they would need permission from UEFA to do so.
