Bayern Munich said Friday that full-back Noussair Mazraoui tested positive for the coronavirus during Morocco's historic run to the semifinals of the World Cup and has since been found to have swelling around his heart.
Bayern left Mazraoui out of the squad that left on Friday
for a winter training camp in Qatar ahead of the Bundesliga season resuming on
Jan. 20, citing the inflammation.
The club said Mazraoui tested positive for COVID-19 while at
the World Cup in early December and that was the reason he didn't play in
Morocco's quarterfinal win over Portugal.
His absence was widely attributed to an unspecified illness
at the time. Mazraoui returned to play the first half of the semifinal loss to
France as Morocco became the first African and Arab team to reach the last four
of the World Cup.
Bayern said an examination in Munich after the tournament
found a “mild inflammation" and that Mazraoui is not available to play
“for the time being.” This kind of inflammation is a known complication of
COVID-19 infection.