Inter forced to suspend first team operations after more COVID-19 cases
By Tom Gott
Health authorities in Milan have ruled that Inter must temporarily close their doors after more players tested positive for COVID-19.
Goalkeeper Samir Handanovic and defender Danilo D'Ambrosio were recently diagnosed with the virus, sparking fears that they may be on the cusp of an outbreak at the club.
The Italian media began to speculate that Saturday's meeting with Sampdoria could be under threat with more positive cases, and unfortunately, that's exactly what has happened.
Inter took to their official website to reveal that both Stefan de Vrij and Matias Vecino had both contracted the virus, and given the speed at which the virus had been spreading, Italian health authorities have ordered them to close their doors.
ATS Milan have ruled that the Sampdoria game must be postponed, while training sessions have also been cancelled, and no Inter players will be allowed to leave the club to join up with their national teams during the upcoming international break.
Inter have suspended all first-team activities until March 21 at the very earliest. Players and staff will all be asked to do fresh COVID-19 tests, and if the number of positive cases has dropped, the team will be allowed to return to training.
It's interesting to note that this decision was left to Milan's health department, rather than Serie A officials. The usual rule is matches will only be postponed if a team has either ten positive cases or fewer than 13 players available, but obviously, there needs to be some middle ground.
The only positive for Inter is that this outbreak has come so close to the international break, meaning they should be able to get a hold on things before football returns.
Inter do not play again until their trip to Bologna on April 3, so theoretically, they could have all the infected players back if they can all recover in time.
It might be good timing in that respect, but in terms of their momentum, it's a crusher. Inter are currently enjoying a six-game winning streak which has seen them move nine points clear at the top of the Serie A standings, but the excitement has come to an abrupt halt.