Australia coach Arnold positive for COVID, to miss Vietnam game - reports

Australia coach Graham Arnold is set to miss their crucial World Cup qualifier against Vietnam on Thursday after returning a positive test for COVID-19, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Arnold has gone into isolation ahead of the game in Melbourne and will be replaced on the sidelines by his assistant, Rene Meulensteen, the report added.

Reuters have asked Football Australia for comment.

Australia are third in Group B of Asia's World Cup preliminaries. Only the top two finishers are guaranteed to advance to the finals in Qatar later this year.

Saudi Arabia lead the standings with 16 points, four ahead of Japan with the Australians a further point adrift.

After taking on Vietnam on Thursday Australia travel to Muscat to face Oman on Feb. 1.

(Reporting by Michael Church in Hong Kong, Editing by Peter Rutherford)