Valletta skipper and Malta international Jonathan Caruana has been provisionally suspended by the Malta Football Association after failing an out-of-competition test carried out by the National Anti-Doping Organisation (NADO), the Times of Malta has learnt.

The central defender was summoned by NADO officials during last month’s international break to undergo a doping test.

Caruana was ineligible to play for Malta in the World Cup qualifier against Slovakia as he was completing a two-match ban following a red card against Lithuania last year.

It is reliably understood that traces of a banned substance were found in Caruana’s sample.

NADO notified the Malta FA with its findings and requested the temporary suspension of the player with immediate effect.

Club sources told Times of Malta that Caruana is set to ask for a B sample.

The 30-year-old is set to play no part in Valletta’s next Premier League match,  on Saturday against Tarxien Rainbows.

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