On Thursday, it became known that Natus Vincere ingame leader Kirill «Boombl4» Mikhailov tested positive for a coronavirus already after arriving in Katowice. Therefore, he will not be able to appear in the competition arena. However, Boombl4 noted that he is feeling good and will take part in the group stage matches from his hotel room. During the play-in, Rafael «exit» Lacerda from MIBR was forced to do the same.
If Natus Vincere make the playoffs, Boombl4 will be able to participate in further matches with the whole team. The rules currently in force in Poland require that those who test positive for coronavirus be isolated for seven days, which should be enough time for him to recover.
At the same time, it is worth bearing in mind that during the playoffs, participating in a match remotely is not allowed in any case according to ESL security protocols. Tournament organizers attribute this «to significant differences in how competitions are conducted (including the presence of spectators, their loud shouting, the presence of an audio system on stage, etc.)». The CIS team will be allowed to make substitutions if necessary. NAVI listed Daniil «headr1ck» Valitov from the youth squad as a potential replacement player.