Last Updated: 22/04/20 10:44am
Romelu Lukaku says players were “coughing and had a fever” in a game against Cagliari in January
Romelu Lukaku says “23 out of 25” players in Inter Milan’s first-team squad had coronavirus symptoms at the end of 2019 but were not tested for the virus.
Italy is among the worst-affected countries amid the coronavirus pandemic, with the country’s first official cases reported on January 31.
No members of the Inter Milan squad have confirmed to have had the virus, but in an Instagram Live interview with Belgian television channel VIER, Lukaku said players returned from time off with what appeared to be symptoms weeks before the virus had taken hold.
“We had a week off in December, we returned to work and I swear that 23 out of 25 players were ill. I am not kidding,” said the Belgium international.
Lukaku in action against Cagliari on January 26
“We played against Radja Nainggolan’s Cagliari (on January 26) and after about 25 minutes, one of our defenders had to leave the pitch. He could not continue and almost fainted.”
Though his name was not mentioned by Lukaku, Milan Skriniar was substituted after 17 minutes of that game.
“Everyone was coughing and had a fever,” Lukaku said. “When I was warming up, I felt a lot hotter than usual. I hadn’t suffered from a fever in years.
“After the game there was a planned dinner with guests, but I thanked them and went straight to bed. We never did the Covid-19 tests at that moment, so we’ll never know for sure.”
