August 12 – FC Barcelona have confirmed a positive coronavirus test ahead of their Champions League quarter-final with Bayern Munich, but the club said the respective player has not had contact with any of the squad members that will travel to Lisbon.
On Tuesday, Barcelona conducted coronavirus tests on nine players – Pedri, Trincao, Matheus Fernandes, Jean-Clair Todibo, Moussa Wague, Carles Alena, Rafinha, Juan Miranda and Oriol Busquets. These players are due to return to for pre-season training on Thursday.
A club statement confirmed on Wednesday however that one had tested positive and had subsequently been placed in isolation. Barcelona didn’t name the player, but said that the case has been reported to health authorities, who then conducted a tracing operation.
“After the PCR tests carried out yesterday Tuesday afternoon to the group of nine players who today have to start pre-season, one of them has tested positive for Covid-19,” wrote the club in a statement.
On Thursday, Barcelona’s first-team squad will travel to the Portuguese capital for the final eight of the Champions League, the mini-tournament in Portugal concluding this season’s premier European club competition after the coronavirus pandemics shutdown in March.
In the quarter-finals, Barcelona will play serial German champions Bayern Munich, who stormed past Chelsea in the round of sixteen. The Spanish club eliminated Napoli 4-2 on aggregate.
Atletico Madrid, another Champions League quarter-finalist, will be without Angel Correa and Sime Vrsaljko for their last-eight clash against RB Leipzig. Both players tested positive for the coronavirus.
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at moc.l1714149144labto1714149144ofdlr1714149144owedi1714149144sni@o1714149144fni1714149144