Vinicius Junior has been forced to sit out training at Real Madrid after “errors” in a Covid-19 test, Zinedine Zidane has revealed, with the club taking precautionary action with their Brazilian forward.
With La Liga action back underway amid the coronavirus pandemic, those involved in competitive action are having to undergo rigorous rounds of testing.
Zidane says the latest of those have “gone badly” at Santiago Bernabeu, with Vinicius temporarily ruled out of his plans as a result.
There has been no indication that the 19-year-old is carrying the disease, but he has not been given the all clear either.
Madrid boss Zidane told reporters ahead of a meeting with Alaves on Friday: “It’s not negative or positive. Sometimes there are errors. When that happens, both we and La Liga decide that the player can’t train.
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“We’ll see how it goes. He’ll have the results of the retaken test later this afternoon and I hope he’ll be with us tomorrow.”
Real are already without the services of Luka Jovic, with the Serbian striker – who broke movement restrictions during lockdown and returned to Spain nursing an injury – back in isolation after coming into contact with a friend who tested positive for Covid-19.
Zidane added on the frontman who has endured a testing debut campaign with Madrid: “He’s not with us today. I hope he’ll be with us soon.
“As a footballer, he is a very good footballer. He is a striker who scores many goals. It’s true that he hasn’t played much, but he is young and we’re counting on him for next season.
“I know there is a lot of debate over the players, but we’ll see next year. This year he has had little things that have hurt him, but we’ll see.”
Marcelo is another currently out of action, with the Brazilian left-back requiring a scan on a knock he has picked up, but Zidane is hoping to have Eden Hazard back at his disposal in the near future.
The Belgian forward has been struggling with an ankle complaint, but his manager said: “Hazard wants to play and he isn’t scared.
“Those who know more about the medical situation tell me what is happening. Everything is fine, but sometimes there is a bit of pain after a match or a tough training session. Tomorrow, he’ll be with us.”