Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang tests positive for Covid-19 upon arrival at Africa Cup of Nations

Giuseppe Muro6 January 2022

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Arsenal striker returned a positive after the Gabon squad landed in Cameroon.

It is another blow for Aubameyang, who was stripped of the Arsenal captaincy last month and faces an uncertain future after being frozen out of the first-team picture by manager Mikel Arteta.

Gabon face Comoros in their opening Group C game at the Africa Cup of Nations on Monday, and Aubameyang now looks set to miss that match.

Aubameyang and the Gabon squad have travelled to Cameroon from a training camp in Dubai, where videos on social media showed the team at what looked like a party.

Gabon team-mate Mario Lemina, the former Southampton midfielder who now plays for Nice in France, is also said to have tested positive for Covid.

After being dropped by Arteta following his latest disciplinary breach, Aubameyang was released early to join up with the Gabon squad.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has not played for Arsenal since being stripped of the captaincy
Arsenal FC via Getty Images

“We had a letter from the national team asking permission to get the player and the player wasn’t going to get involved today (Friday) so, for his fitness and to keep competing, it was the right thing to do,” said Arteta.

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