Montpellier youngster Junior Sambia has been placed into an ‘artificial coma’ after testing positive for coronavirus.

The 23-year-old, the first player in Ligue 1 to contract the disease so far, is currently stable in hospital but remains in a serious condition.

Sambia’s agent, Frederic Guerra, has revealed that the defensive midfielder’s situation became so severe that he was placed into a coma after switching hospitals.

“His condition is stable. It has not deteriorated, nor improved,” his agent, Frederic Guerra, told Le Parisien.

“It is tough. He really respected confinement. He did everything well. He must have contracted the virus while shopping.

“He suffered three days of severe diarrhoea – like gastroenteritis. Then, on Tuesday morning, he went to the hospital. I reached him when he was on an IV.

“He had just received the COVID-19 test result. This one was negative. He was due to leave on Wednesday, then his condition worsened with his lungs.

“It grew more complicated in transit. He went back to the same hospital, then he changed hospitals twice before being placed in an artificial coma.”

Sambia has made 22 appearances for Montpellier this season, with a solitary strike to his name.

There have been more than 198,000 deaths worldwide from the deadly disease, with 22,245 lives claimed in France.

Ligue 1 are planning to resume the season on June 17 behind closed doors, but league officials will need to be granted  government approval in order for this to happen.