Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has set up a fundraising page and pledged financial support to Unicef to help children affected by coronavirus.
After turning 27 on Sunday, Pogba set up the birthday fundraiser to “help fight this war against Covid-19”.
The France international says he will double the fund if his goal of £27,000 is reached.
“The impact of a large-scale outbreak, especially on poor and vulnerable children, can be immense,” Pogba wrote.
“It’s my birthday and I’m always grateful that me, my family and friends are healthy. Nonetheless, not everybody is in good health right now.
“At times like this we need to come together.”
The money will be used to provide disposable gloves, surgical masks and vented goggles for health workers,.
On his 26th birthday, Pogba raised £7,360 for clean water organisation Charity Water.
Meanwhile, Detroit Pistons say all their players and staff will “self-isolate until further notice” after Christian Wood became the third player in the NBA to test positive for coronavirus.
Utah Jazz duo Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell both tested positive earlier in the week.
In a statement the Pistons said that Wood “will remain in isolation and under the care of team medical staff”.
The NBA was suspended on Thursday following Gobert’s positive test.
All major sport in the United States has now been suspended amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Wood, who is in his first season with the Pistons, had experienced flu-like symptoms before scoring a career-best 32 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday.
The 24-year-old also scored 30 points in their 111-105 loss at the Jazz on 7 March, a game in which he was frequently paired up against Gobert.
The Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and the Toronto Raptors all played games against the Jazz recently.
