Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo (kind of) hit a PCR test that ruled him out of his side’s Champions League clash with Barcelona on Wednesday.
Ronaldo first tested positive for the coronavirus on October 13 while on international duty, before testing positive again nine days later.
The Portuguese forward then took the third Test on Tuesday in a late bid to clear for his side in their highly-anticipated Champions League clash with Barcelona on Wednesday.
However, they will not be able to participate after testing positive for the third time. A seemingly asymptomatic Ronaldo has now taken to Instagram to provide an update on his well-being, while also expressing his frustration at the testing itself.
‘Feeling good and healthy’, the former Real Madrid man captioned a photo of himself smiling into the camera. But in a separate comment, Ronaldo simply wrote ‘PCR IS BULL***T’.
With Ronaldo ruled out of Wednesday’s clash, it means his first meeting with Lionel Messi since swapping Real Madrid for Juventus in 2018 will have to wait a little longer. Of course, Juve and Barcelona will play their second group match against each other in early December.
Ronaldo tests positive while away on international duty / Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images
While Wednesday’s game may only be the second Champions League group match, it could prove to be a crucial game for either the Bianconeri or Barça, who both come into the competition on three points.
Andrea Pirlo’s men overcame Dynamo Kyiv 2-0 in their first game thanks to two strikes from Alvaro Morata, while Barça won 5-1 at Ferencvárosi.
Juventus have not been convincing in Ronaldo’s absence, winning just one of their three games since the international break. That includes 1-1 draws against Crotone and Verona, two sides the Italian giants will be expected to comfortably pull away from.