Ukraine's Nations League match in Switzerland cancelled due to virus

Ukraine players during their recent Nations League match against Germany. Reuters

Ukraine's Nations League match against Switzerland on Tuesday has been called off just hours before kick off after six players tested positive for the coronavirus.

The Ukraine Association of Football (UAF) said in a statement that the match "cannot take place" after Uefa informed it that Swiss health authorities made the decision "to quarantine the entire delegation of the national team of Ukraine."

The match in Lucerne was slated to kick off at 7.45pm GMT (11.45pm UAE).

Earlier on Tuesday, the UAF said a total of six national team players had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Atalanta midfielder Ruslan Malinovskyi and two Shakhtar Donetsk teammates - Sergiy Kryvtsov and Junior Moraes - contracted the virus and were self-isolating in their hotel in Switzerland, the association said.

On Monday, three other Ukraine players - goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk, left-back Eduard Sobol and midfielder Yevgen Makarenko - tested positive.

Kryvtsov and Moraes have already come into contact with the coronavirus and have antibodies, according to the UAF.

Uefa, European football's governing body, told the UAF that the Department of Health of the Canton of Lucerne had quarantined the entire delegation from Ukraine so the match was off.

"Uefa, UAF and the Swiss Football Association are ready for the match, but the ban [by] local authorities cancels all hopes of football organisations to hold the game," the UAF said.

Uefa will decide later on what to do about the missed match, the UAF added.

Andriy Shevchenko's side have been badly affected by the virus, as four more players tested positive before the 3-1 loss away to Germany on Saturday.

In October, Ukraine included 45-year-old assistant Oleksandr Shovkovskiy in the squad for a friendly against France after a number of players, including two goalkeepers, tested positive.

Ukraine are three points ahead of Switzerland with one match left in Nations League A Group 4, as they attempt to remain in the top tier of the competition.

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Germany beat Ukraine 3-1