Juventus have confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo is free from self-isolation after testing negative for Covid-19.
Ronaldo has been absent for Juve’s last four matches – including the side’s 2-0 defeat at home to Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday night – after returning a positive test for the virus while on duty with the Portugal national team on October 13.
The 35-year-old forward also had to sit out Portugal’s 3-0 win over Sweden in the Nations League.
‘Cristiano Ronaldo carried out a check with a diagnostic test (swab) for Covid-19,’ Juventus said in an official statement on their website on Friday.
‘The exam provided a negative result.
‘The player has, therefore, recovered after 19 days and is no longer subjected to home isolation.’
After missing Juventus’ games with Crotone, Dynamo Kiev, Verona and Barcelona, Ronaldo could return to action away to Spezia in Serie A this weekend.
The former Manchester United star was clearly furious he could play no part against Barca in midweek and shared a now-deleted Instagram post which questioned the accuracy of the Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests he took.
‘PCR IS BULLS***’, Ronaldo said before swiftly removing the post.
Ronaldo’s sister, Katia Aveiro, followed suit as she launched into an explosive rant about her sibling’s diagnosis, bizarrely branding the coronavirus pandemic a ‘fraud’.
She said: ‘If Cristiano Ronaldo has to wake the world up, I have to say he really is a prophet from God. Thank you.
‘I think thousands of people believed in the pandemic, in the tests and in the measures that have been taken, just like me.
‘The biggest fraud I’ve seen since I was born. Today I read a phrase which I stand up to applaud, namely: “Enough of a world of puppets.” ‘Please, someone, open your eyes.’
Ronaldo flew out of the blocks at the start of the season, scoring five goals in his first three games for club and country, but is without a goal in his last three matches versus Napoli, Spain and France.