Barcelona, Nov.7 (dpa/GNA) – Real Madrid players Eden Hazard and Casemiro have tested positive for the corona virus, the Spanish league champions said Saturday.
Belgian attacker Hazard and Brazilian midfielder Casemiro returned positive tests on Friday with Real saying the rest of the squad and coaching staff were negative in the testing round and also negative in antigen tests conducted Saturday.
Around a week ago Real said central defender Eder Militao had tested positive and would go into quarantine.
Both Hazard and Casemiro played in Tuesday’s Champions League win over Inter Milan but will now miss Sunday’s league visit to Valencia.
Suggesting the players are not completely asymptomatic, Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said Saturday: “Emotionally they are fine, physically they have some things. I left them a message and I’ll talk to them later.”
Both Hazard and Casemiro are now likely to be ruled out of international duty in the coming week.
For Hazard this is another blow for a player who has struggled with injuries for a year now.
Zidane added: “He is a strong player. He is having a delicate moment with these injuries. But his spirits are fine and that is the important thing”.
GNA