preparations

World Cup cohosts United States have warned the Democratic Republic of the Congo team to isolate due to Ebola fears.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo ‌(DRC) have no plans to change their preparations for the 2026 World Cup, despite ⁠a warning from the ⁠United States that the team must isolate for 21 days before arriving in the country, a team official has said.

Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the ⁠White House Task Force for the World Cup, confirmed on Friday that the Congolese delegation needed to maintain a bubble where they are training in Belgium and isolate ⁠for 21 days or risk being denied entry after a deadly outbreak of the Ebola virus in the central African country.

The Congolese team are to be based in Houston at the tournament and will play an opening Group K fixture against Portugal on June 17, followed by matches against ‌Colombia on June 23 in Guadalajara, Mexico, and against Uzbekistan on June 27 in Atlanta.

“We’ve been very clear to Congo that they should maintain the integrity of their bubble for 21 days before they can then come to Houston on June 11,” Giuliani told ESPN on Saturday.

“We’ve made it very clear to the Congo government as well that they need to maintain that bubble, or they risk not being able to travel to the United ⁠States. We cannot be any clearer.”

But a team spokesperson said that at ⁠this stage there was no change to their schedule, which includes a friendly against Denmark in Liege, Belgium, on June 3 and another against Chile in Cadiz, Spain, six days later.

“We have kept our training programme. No ⁠player in the squad has come from DR Congo,” the official said.

The entire squad of players are based outside the DRC, mostly ⁠in Europe, including coach Sebastien Desabre. A few team officials ⁠arrived at the training camp in Belgium from the DRC earlier this week.

The team had planned a three-day trip to Kinshasa next week as a celebratory send-off before they head to their first World Cup in 52 years, but ‌that trip has been cancelled.

The World Health Organization on Friday raised to “very high” the risk of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola turning into a national outbreak in the DRC ‌and ‌has declared the outbreak there and in neighbouring Uganda an emergency of international concern.

Nearly 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths have been recorded following the outbreak in DRC.

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic have withdrawn from next week’s Madrid Open as their clay-court preparations for next month’s French Open continue to be disrupted by injury.

World number two Alcaraz is struggling with a wrist problem and the 22-year-old Spaniard was forced to pull out of this week’s Barcelona Open with the issue.

Alcaraz said delivering the news he was unable to participate in the tournament in Madrid, which is due to start on 21 April, was “incredibly difficult”.

“Madrid is home, one of the most special places on the calendar for me, and that’s why it hurts so much not to be able to play here for the second year in a row,” the seven-time Grand Slam winner said in an Instagram post.

“It hurts especially not to be able to be in front of my fans, in a tournament that’s so special to me. Thank you for your continued support, and I hope to see you soon.”

Alcaraz is facing a race to be match-ready for the French Open, which he is bidding to win for a third consecutive time.

The tournament at Roland Garros takes place from 18 May to 7 June.

Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam winner, has not played since he was beaten by Jack Draper in the fourth round at Indian Wells last month.

The 38-year-old Serbian skipped Masters 1000 events in Miami and Monte Carlo with a shoulder injury and is not yet fit to return to action.

“Madrid, unfortunately I won’t be able to compete this year. I’m continuing my recovery in order to be back soon,” he said on Instagram.

Britain’s Draper is also in a race to be fit for the French Open having retired during his first match in Barcelona this week with a knee injury.