Madrid (AFP)
Real Madrid striker Mariano Diaz tested positive for Covid-19, the Spanish champion club announced on Tuesday, fueling concern as his side face Manchester City in the Champions League round of 16 second leg on the 7th August in England.
"As a result of the Covid-19 tests carried out yesterday (Monday) individually on our squad of the first football team by the medical services of Real Madrid, our player Mariano has tested positive. The player is in perfect health and respects the sanitary protocol of isolation at his home, "said the Merengue club in a brief statement published on its website.
The Real players were given a few days off after the La Liga title conquest and the end of the season in Spain on July 19. A training session was scheduled for Tuesday morning at 11:00 a.m.
Due to the isolation imposed on him, the 26-year-old Hispano-Dominican player, former striker of Olympique Lyonnais, will not be able to be present during the decisive C1 duel against City in ten days.
The "Citizens" had won the first leg (2-1) at the Santiago-Bernabeu stadium on February 26 before the suspension of the prestigious European competition due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Back at Real in the summer of 2018 after a conclusive season in Lyon (18 goals in Ligue 1), Mariano has played little this season due both to competition in his post and to injuries. The striker has only played five matches in the Spanish Championship.
In March, at the time of the interruption of football competitions due to a pandemic, Real Madrid were forced to place their entire squad in quarantine due to a positive case within their basketball team, which shares some facilities at the Valdebebas training center with Zinédine Zidane's team.
The Spanish Championship then resumed in June, with a drastic health protocol, and Real won their 34th league title.
© 2020 AFP