Minnesota United played on without star attacking midfielder Emanuel Reynoso as starter or sub in Sunday's 18 against Houston at Allianz Field.
Club and league policies don't identify players who have tested positive for COVID-19. A game at FC Dallas last Sunday was postponed after two Loons players were confirmed positive two days before the game.
Wednesday's home game against Chicago was postponed as well on short notice after another player was a suspected positive test that later proved negative.
Without Reynoso, Loons coach Adrian Heath started attackers Kevin Molino, Ethan Finlay and Robin Lod up front behind striker Kei Kamara and with Hassani Dotson and Jacori Hayes behind those three. Dotson went down twice because of injury early in Sunday's game.
Defender Jose Aja and midfielder Thomas Chacon were not in the Loons' 18 for Sunday's game.
Coronavirus testing led to the postponement of two games, canceled training sessions and caused the team to train Saturday in groups of five players each to limit exposure to the virus.
"We have to get on," Heath said Saturday. "We can't use it as an excuse. We are looking forward to getting back to playing again. These are hurdles we have to overcome. We can't use them as an excuse because, guess what? We're playing a game tomorrow."
The two postponed games allowed team captain and veteran defensive midfielder Ozzie Alonso time to heal from the hamstring injury sustained last month, and he entered the game Sunday in the 15th minute. Minnesota United also is expected to get veteran midfielder Jan Gregus back in the lineup after missing only two MLS games while he was gone to play with his Slovakia national team in Europe.
Gregus wasn't available Sunday while he is in quarantine after his flight back to the United States on Thursday, but Heath targeted him to play next weekend against FC Cincinnati.
The postponements gave Finlay — who scored both goals for the Loons in their 2-2 draw with Houston — additional time to heal after he started and played all 90 minutes on Oct. 6 at Nashville SC in his comeback from September knee surgery.
Amarilla surgery likely
Minnesota United striker Luis Amarilla has received another opinion on an ankle injury that has sidelined him since a Sept. 2 game at Houston and likely will have surgery that would end his one-year loan with the team.
Heath said discussions continue between the club, Amarilla, his agent and the Argentina team that loaned Amarilla to Minnesota United for this season with an option to buy his rights.
"It's not our player, not our decision to make," Heath said. "We will go along with what they want to do and I think it's more than likely we'll be having an operation and he'll be having it here in America."
Quintero returns
Former Loons star Darwin Quintero returned to Allianz Field on Sunday for the first time since the team traded him to Houston last November. He arrived with seven goals and eight assists in 17 games played this season.
"The thing about Darwin, he's one of the players in the whole of MLS who can create something out of nothing," Heath said. "We've seen it. We've seen it here. He's got talent. It doesn't surprise. He can light things up because he's always had it in his locker. When he's on a good day, he's a special talent."
