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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Ben Hayward

Real Madrid striker Mariano Diaz tests positive for Covid-19 ahead of Manchester City trip

Real Madrid striker Mariano Diaz has tested positive for coronavirus and is in isolation ahead of Los Blancos' trip to Manchester City in the Champions League.

Mariano, who would have been unlikely to feature in the last-16 second leg next month, will remain at home while his team-mates prepare for the fixture at the Etihad on August 7.

"After the COVID-19 tests carried out individually on our first-team football squad yesterday by the Real Madrid Medical Services, our player Mariano has given a positive result," the club said on their website.

"The player is in perfect health and complying with the sanitary isolation protocol at home."

Madrid's first team were given a few days off this week after winning LaLiga and will now turn their attentions to the European competition.

All of Real's players went into quarantine back in March when basketball player Trey Thompkins tested positive for Covid-19, with LaLiga suspended later the same day.

Striker Luka Jovic was then forced to self-isolate late in the season after coming into contact with a friend with the virus, but the Serbian returned for Los Blancos' last game of the season.

Second-tier side Fuenlabrada, also from the Spanish capital, were unable to play their final league game last week against Deportivo La Coruna after a number of players tested positive, with 28 confirmed cases at the Madrid club in total.

That situation has put Spanish football on alert, with calls for the resignation of LaLiga president Javier Tebas, and Madrid will need to establish whether Mariano came into contact with any of his team-mates since contracting the virus.

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