Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has tested positive for coronavirus just days before the start of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON), soccanews can confirm, putting his participation for at least some of the tournament in doubt.
The 32-year-old forward now appears likely to miss out on his country’s opening game of the tournament against Comoros
Aubameyang has suffered a turbulent few weeks, losing his place in the Arsenal team after being dropped by manager Mikel Arteta due to a disciplinary breach.
He was also stripped of the captaincy by Mikel Arteta and, having played little football recently, was hoping to make a big impact at AFCON, which gets underway on January 9, when hosts Cameroon face Burkina Faso.
AFCON 2022 begins on Sunday, with Gabon playing their opening group-stage fixture against Comoros the day after, on January 10.
They play Ghana four days later before concluding their pool-stage matches against Morocco on January 18.
Should Aubameyang be forced into isolation due to testing positive, he would be doubtful to feature in at least the first game, while it is unclear at this stage if he would then be unable to participate in the rest of the competition.
The former Dortmund striker has already missed games for Arsenal in the first half of the 2021-22 campaign due to testing positive for Covid-19.
Gabon arrive in Cameroon
The Gabonese FA posted photos of the squad arriving in Cameroon on January 6, before news of Aubameyang’s positive test came to light.
The Gunners forward can be seen in one of the images, although it’s unclear if he is now in isolation.