Leon Bailey in self isolation
Published:Friday | August 28, 2020 | 7:54 PMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter -
Craig Butler, adoptive father and agent of national winger Leon Bailey, has confirmed that the player is in self isolation and will miss part of Bayer Leverkusen's pre-season preparations for the upcoming Bundesliga season.
Bailey was expected back at the club today for coronavirus testing ahead of the first pre-season training session on Monday. But the club tweeted that he missed his chartered flight back to Germany because of "local coronavirus restrictions".
Speculation about Bailey's status started because he attended the surprise birthday party of Olympian Usain Bolt last Friday. Bolt said on Monday that he was in quarantine awaiting COVID-19 test results, but Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton confirmed that Bolt tested positive for the novel coronavirus later that day.
Butler said that Bailey's quarantine period would start from the day of Bolt's party, his client and is expected to return to the club after the two-week period.
"We are going to do it (isolate) for 14 days," Butler said. "I think that's the best thing to do from when he was at Bolt's party."
Butler refused to comment on whether Bailey has already been tested for the virus, or if he has received the results, but said that the player is showing no symptoms.
The party was attended by various entertainers and sporting figures, including Manchester City's Raheem Sterling, who has reportedly tested negative for the virus.
Leverkusen's first official game of the 2020/21 campaign will begin on September 13 in the first round of the German Cup while the first Bundesliga game of the season will be on September 20 against Wolfsburg.