The friendly match between Olympique de Marseille and Montpellier (Ligue 1) scheduled for Wednesday is canceled, the Marseille club management announced on Tuesday after the discovery of a potential case of Covid-19 in a Montpellier player.

"As a measure of health precautions, Olympique de Marseille and Montpellier Hérault Sport Club have decided, with regret, to cancel the friendly match scheduled for this Wednesday, August 5 in the evening," OM wrote in a statement posted on Twitter. "Supporters who have already purchased tickets for this match will be fully reimbursed," continues OM.

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MHSC player tested positive

Due to the matches already planned, the two Mediterranean clubs will not be able to face each other before the resumption of the championship from August 21. Before their first Ligue 1 match against Saint-Etienne, OM will face Nîmes on Sunday August 9 and German club Stuttgart on Friday August 14. For its part, Montpellier must play Saturday at Millau against Clermont (L2), before moving on Friday 14 to Rodez (L2). A Montpellier player whose identity has not been revealed tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday during tests carried out by the entire group of Michel Der Zakarian. He must pass a new test on Friday to confirm this possible contamination.

Official press release: cancellation of the #OMMHSC match

- Olympique de Marseille (@OM_Officiel) August 4, 2020

The Montpellier club feared possible contamination since a friendly match played last week in Divonne-les-Bains against Strasbourg (lost 1-2). A few days later, the Alsatian club announced that five of its players had tested positive for the coronavirus. In addition, four young players from the Montpellier training center tested positive this Sunday. Since the start of the previous week, these members of the U16 and U17 teams were doing a preparation course in Mende (Lozère).

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If the suspicion of Covid-19 is confirmed on Friday, he will be the fifth player in Michel Der Zakarian's squad to be affected by the coronavirus since the start of the health crisis. Junior midfielder Sambia, who had been hospitalized and placed in an artificial coma at the end of April, was the first Ligue 1 player detected. Serbian defender Mihailo Ristic, Cameroonian international Ambroise Oyongo and young Frenchman Thibault Tamas were also infected.