Report: 4 more Nashville players test positive for COVID-19

Miami, July 9, 2020 (AFP) - Four more players from Nashville SC have tested positive for the coronavirus, a report said Wednesday, raising questions about the team's place in Major League Soccer's restart competition.

The Athletic website reported that four players subjected to additional testing for COVID-19 had all tested positive.

If confirmed, it would mean nine Nashville players in total have now tested positive for coronavirus after five cases were confirmed on Tuesday.

Neither Major League Soccer nor Nashville SC were immediately available to comment on the report, which came as the league was preparing for the opening game of its "MLS is Back" competition in Orlando, Florida.

On Monday, FC Dallas were withdrawn from the tournament altogether after 10 players and a member of the team's support staff tested positive for the coronavirus.

MLS has been in shutdown since the coronavirus pandemic erupted in March, sending sport in North America to a standstill.

The MLS is relaunching the season with a World Cup-style tournament, with all teams taking part based at the Disney World campus in Orlando.

Since the decision to restart the league was announced, COVID-19 cases across the United States have skyrocketed, with Florida particularly hard hit.