Real Madrid rocked by COVID outbreak as 5 players test positive ahead of game against Cadiz - Reports

According to Vozpópuli, as many as five Real Madrid players have tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of their weekend La Liga clash against Cadiz at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Yesterday, Madrid had announced that two of their stalwarts in left-back Marcelo and Luka Modric tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, the club was forced to hold COVID-19 tests for the entire squad and the staff.

With the first batch of results now out, a team source has claimed that as many as five other players have also tested positive for the virus.

Luka Modric started in Real Madrid’s 2-0 victory over Atletico last Sunday while Marcelo last played during their 3-0 Champions League victory over Sheriff. The Spanish giants held COVID-19 tests early yesterday morning and held an urgent meeting to decide the course of action earlier today.

The cases have come up at a time when the Omicrom variant has been spreading rapidly in Spain. It is currently unclear whether Real Madrid will go ahead with their clash against Cadiz. They are the second major European club in recent days to have undergone a potential COVID outbreak. Earlier Manchester United were forced to postpone their match against Brentford due to multiple positive cases.

Real Madrid will be hoping for quick recovery of COVID-19 positive players

The outbreak comes at a crucial time for Real Madrid’s season. They are in a strong position domestically and look poised to win La Liga by a comprehensive margin. Madrid have an eight-point lead at the top and are currently 13 points ahead of their biggest rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

They will also be preparing for their upcoming Supercopa de Espana semi-final encounter against Barcelona. With both Modric and Marcelo confirmed positive, the club will be hoping for a quick recovery of all the seven players who have reportedly tested positive.

The potential outbreak could have major implications on Real Madrid’s domestic charge and allow the likes of Barca and Atletico time to catch up. They have a range of options available as potential backups and might already have outlined plans to proceed over the next few weeks. Further confirmed information about the affected players can be expected to be released in the coming days.