Real Madrid’s Belgian forward Eden Hazard and Brazilian midfielder Casemiro have tested positive for Covid-19, the La Liga club said on Saturday.
The two players tested positive on Friday morning, Real said in a statement. According to Real, all other players and staff who work directly with the pair were subsequently tested.
Both the PCR test and the antibody test came back negative for all, except Hazard and Casemiro. The two players will miss Real Madrid’s La Liga match against Valencia on Sunday.
“They’re fine. They’re not happy with what happened, but mentally they’re fine, and physically too,” Real coach Zinedine Zidane told reporters on Saturday.
“Casi has a few symptoms but in this difficult situation they are fine. I left them a message, I will speak to them again later. This is something that can happen, and we must accept it.
“There was nothing special, they are responsible people, who pay attention … Obviously, I would have preferred to have them.”
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Injury frustration for Hazard
The positive Covid-19 tests for Hazard and Casemiro also rules both of them out of playing for their respective national teams during the upcoming international window as they will have to go into isolation.
Hazard has struggled with injury since joining Real from Chelsea in June 2019 for a reported $113 million fee.
He missed the start of the season owing to a series of ankle injuries and had only recently returned to Real’s team for the Champions League meeting with Borussia Monchengladbach on October 27, before scoring in the 4-1 La Liga win over Huesca.
However, that was only the second goal Hazard has scored for Real since his transfer from Chelsea.
On Monday, ahead of their Champions League match against Inter Milan in midweek, Real announced that Brazilian central defender Eder Militao had tested positive for Covid-19.
