Cristiano Ronaldo to Miss Barcelona Clash Following Third Positive Coronavirus Test
Cristiano Ronaldo has been ruled out of Juventus' highly-anticipated Champions League clash with Barcelona on Wednesday night after returning a third positive coronavirus test.
The Portuguese superstar first returned a positive result while away on international duty earlier this month and tested positive for a second time last Thursday - nine days after his initial diagnosis.
Ronaldo has missed Juve's last three fixtures, with his absence proving significant for Andrea Pirlo's Bianconeri.
Calcio's supreme force over the past decade have drawn their last two Serie A encounters against inferior opposition, although an Alvaro Morata brace ensured their European campaign got off to a flying start last week in Kyiv.
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Hope remained that the 35-year-old would return a negative test ahead of Wednesday's clash, allowing him to face up against Lionel Messi for the first time since he departed Real Madrid in 2018.
That, however, hasn't been the case. Various sources, including Goal's Juve correspondent Romeo Agresti, report that Ronaldo won't play against the Spanish giants after testing positive once again on Tuesday evening.
It's expected that he'll return for the Bianconeri's trip to Spezia on Sunday.
Ronaldo's currently self isolating in his Turin home and has reportedly displayed no symptoms.
The 35-year-old's been sleeping separately from partner Georgina Rodriguez and his four children - who all returned negative tests.
The Juve superstar was subject to criticism from Italy's sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora, who believed he breached coronavirus guidelines by returning to Turin from the Portuguese camp via 'air ambulance'.
Ronaldo, though, hit back at Spadafora's claims: "I returned from Portugal because my team and I made sure to comply with all the procedures. I returned to Italy by air ambulance and I have had no contact with anyone, even in Turin.
"My family is on another floor of the house, we can't be in contact," he added in the wake of the sports minister's criticism.