Arsenal confirm Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette tested positive for COVID-19

As Simon Collings noted for the Evening Standard, Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and forward Alexandre Lacazette were both unavailable for last Friday's Premier League opener at Brentford due to what were, at the time, unspecified illnesses. 

Ahead of this Sunday's league clash with Chelsea, Arsenal confirmed Thursday that both players tested positive for COVID-19. 

"Auba is now negative on COVID-19 testing, is well and following all protocols for return to play," Arsenal explained. "He will return to training and be assessed prior to Sunday’s match." 

Lacazette, meanwhile, is still recovering and won't be available for selection through the weekend. 

Additionally, Alex Runarsson and Willian also tested positive for the coronavirus. Runarsson has been ruled out for Sunday's match, while a final decision on Willian's status hasn't yet been made. 

Arsenal fell to Brentford 2-0 and will face reigning champions Manchester City in league action on Aug. 28. 

The Premier League confirmed on Monday that 11 new positive results were discovered during the testing period that ran from Aug. 9-15. Nine positive COVID-19 tests were recorded by the English top-flight from Aug. 2-8.