Cristiano Ronaldo, the Juventus striker will now undertake a period in quarantine after contracting COVID-19 while away on international duty.
Ronaldo has been ruled out of Portugal’s clash with Sweden after testing positive for coronavirus.
The Portuguese Football Federation confirmed the news in an official statement on Tuesday, October 13, 2020, which reads: “Cristiano Ronaldo was released from training with the national team after a positive test for Covid-19, so he will not face Sweden.
“The Portugal international is doing well, without symptoms, and in isolation.
“Following the positive test, the remaining players underwent new tests on Tuesday morning, and all produced a negative result and are available to Fernando Santos for training this afternoon.”
Ronaldo will sit out Portugal’s Nation’s League meeting with Sweden on Wednesday night as he begins a ten-day period of self-isolation.
The 35-year-old is also set to miss Juventus’ trip to Crotone in Serie A this weekend, as well as their Champions League group stage opener against Dynamo Kiev on October 20.
It is also unsure as to whether Ronaldo will be able to feature against Barcelona as he must be completely covid-free at least one week before the clash, which is scheduled for the 28th.
The Seleccao skipper played the full 90 minutes of Portugal’s 0-0 draw with 2018 World Cup winners France on Sunday, winning his 167th international cap in the process.
That result ensured that Fernando Santos’ side stayed top of League A, Group 3 on goal difference ahead of Les Bleus, with Croatia four points further back in third.
Ronaldo had been in top form prior to the clash with France, scoring three goals in his first two appearances at the start of Juve’s latest domestic campaign.
He was, however, denied the chance to add to that tally when the Bianconeri’s home fixture against Napoli on October 4 was postponed in controversial fashion.
Two players from Napoli’s squad tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the meeting at the Allianz Stadium, and they were subsequently prevented from travelling by the local health authority (ASL).
Juve were angered by the postponement as they claimed protocols had been breached, but the president of the Campania region of Italy, Vincenzo De Luca, said the Partenopei deserved thanks for protecting Ronaldo from the virus.
De Luca said: “Nobody has thanked us for preventing Cristiano Ronaldo from getting the virus. Try and imagine it, If Ronaldo had got the virus a week later, we would have hit the front pages even of the New York Times.”
Source: Goal
