Inter defender Young set to miss Milan derby after he tests positive for Covid-19

Inter defender Ashley Young has tested positive for Covid-19 and is self-isolating.

The Serie A side announced the news on Sunday via a brief statement on their official website.

The news comes during the international break, during which the 39-time capped England international had remained with the Italian outfit.

The club’s statement reads: “Inter announces that Ashley Young tested positive for Covid-19 following the test carried out yesterday [Saturday] in Appiano Gentile. The English footballer is already in quarantine at his home.”

Young is therefore set to miss Inter's clash with city rivals AC Milan. The duo are scheduled to meet in Serie A next Saturday, October 17.

The coronavirus pandemic, which saw football globally shut down in March until the early summer, has seen close to 40 million people worldwide diagnosed with the virus, and has been attributed to the deaths of more than one million globally. In Italy, close to 350,000 people have been infected with more than 36,000 deaths. 

Young, who turned 35 in July, has featured in all three of Inter’s Serie A matches this season, picking up an assist in the 5-2 victory over Benevento on September 30. 

He has helped Antonio Conte’s side climb to third in the league off the back of seven points from a possible nine, dropping only a couple away to Lazio in a 1-1 draw prior to the international break.

Having joined the club in the January transfer window of 2020, he established himself as a regular player in the Nerazzurri’s starting XI, in the second half of last term, turning in impressive numbers that saw him feature in all 18 of his club’s league matches, during which he posted four goals and as many assists.

Meanwhile, he also played five Europa League encounters for the San Siro side, who lost 3-2 to Sevilla in the final.

Previously, he had been on the books of Manchester United since the 2011 season, starting out as a winger at Old Trafford but moving back into defence later in his career. While a Red Devil, he played 261 matches, scoring 19 goals and creating another 43.

His professional career had started, however, with Watford in 2003 and after four years with the Hornets saw him move on to Aston Villa, where he won his first England cap under the management of Steve McClaren.