New York City FC announced in the leadup to their Saturday matchup against the Montreal Impact that one of their players had tested positive for COVID-19 (coronavirus). Despite the scare, the game went on as scheduled. Due to legal reasons, NYCFC are not permitted to disclose the identities of any players and/or staff who test positive.
When the team’s lineup was revealed prior to kickoff, Ismael Tajouri-Shradi’s name was absent from both the starting eleven and the team’s bench despite not being suspended or having sustained an injury in training. This immediately led to speculation that he had tested positive for the virus.