Casemiro, Hazard test positive for Covid-19

REAL Madrid have become the latest club to be hit by the Covid-19 pandemic as two of their top players have tested positive for the virus.

The Spanish champions announced on Saturday morning that Brazil midfielder Casemiro and Belgium forward Eden Hazard have contracted the highly contagious disease.

“Real Madrid C.F. informs that our players, Casemiro and Eden Hazard, have tested positive in the COVID-19 tests undertaken yesterday, Friday, in the morning,” the club announced on their official website.

“All of the other first-team players and coaching staff, as well as the club employees who work directly with the squad tested negative in yesterday’s tests. Meanwhile, all of them, apart from Casemiro and Hazard, once again tested negative in the antigen tests taken this morning.”

Casemiro and Hazard join a long list of football figures who have had to deal with coronavirus, including Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba, Liverpool forward Sadio Mane, Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo and AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The two Real Madrid stars will go into self-isolation and miss the LaLiga fixture at Valencia on Sunday.