Madrid’s Eden Hazard and Casemiro test positive to covid-19

 

Real Madrid have announced that defender Casemiro and forward Hazard have tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of their La Liga clash at Valencia on Sunday.

Hazard has had a miserable time in Spain since his big-money move from Chelsea in England. Injury followed injury and he faced a huge backlash from supporters for turning up for pre-season training looking decidedly overweight. Now he has another big problem to manage no thanks to the dreaded pandemic that is sure to see him go on isolation for the next 14 days.

“Our players Casemiro and Hazard have given positive results in the COVID-19 tests carried out on Friday morning,” La Liga champions Real said in a statement.

The club said that all other first-team players and coaching staff, as well as the club employees who work directly with them, had returned negative tests.

Real defender Eder Militao had tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week and was forced to miss Tuesday’s 3-2 victory against Inter Milan in the Champions League.

Real, who are a point and place behind La Liga leaders Real Sociedad with a game in hand; face 13th-placed Valencia.

Other fixtures lined up in the La Liga on Sunday include Getafe versus visiting Villarreal table toppers Real Sociedad against Granada, Levante against Depotivo Alaves and Real Valladolid against Athletic.

Most cities are witnessing a resurgence of the coronavirus pandemic leading to a second lockdown in some areas.

Many say it will take a while before the round leather game re-captures the fun for which it is known for across the globe.

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