Arthur Mesis Suarez Barcelona 2020Getty

Barcelona cleared to return to training as Covid-19 tests return negative

All of the Barcelona players who were tested for coronavirus on Wednesday have come back negative, Goal can confirm.

The only member of the first team squad who was not tested for Covid-19 was injured winger Ousmane Dembele, who it is understood will be checked on Monday.

With no cases of the virus detected, it gives Barcelona the green light to resume first team training on Friday, as La Liga gears up for a possible return in the near future.

Article continues below

No official date has been given for the return of professional football in Spain, but La Liga clubs are now able to train as long as players work individually or in small groups.

It allows manager Quique Setien and his staff to put a plan in place for if La Liga comes back, with Barca aiming to maintain a two-point advantage over Real Madrid at the top of the table.

The return to training is the beginning of a four-phase process for La Liga to return to action with games to be played behind closed doors for the time being.

"This crisis has had a profound impact on all of us. The return of football is a sign that society is progressing towards the new normal. It will also bring back an element of life that people in Spain and around the world know and love,” said Javier Tebas, the president of La Liga.

However, it remains unclear if football will return any time soon and there are concerns that the season could be scrapped over fears that returning prematurely will exacerbate the Covid-19 situation.

More than 25,000 people in Spain have died after being infected by Covid-19 since the virus reached the country at the end of January. 

Setien has previously said he would not be happy if Barcelona were awarded the title without the season being completed, despite the Camp Nou side leading La Liga at the point it had to be paused because of the coronavirus pandemic.

He told Sport: "I wouldn't like to win the title in this way. It's common sense that the league table stays as it is [if the season cannot be concluded], however the reality is that everyone would like to finish the season and win it all playing all the games, the same as the Champions League."

Advertisement