Atletico Madrid French forward, Moussa Dembele tested positive for COVID-19, the club announced on Thursday.
The 24-year-old striker is the fourth player with the La Liga leaders to go into self-isolation and could miss Champions League clash with Chelsea.
Madrid received the news of Dembele’s positive result a day after teammate Joao Felix also tested positive. There are now doubts that both players would feature in the club’s Champions League round of 16 first leg clash against Chelsea later this month.
The La Liga leaders revealed the French forward who was signed from Lyon in January transfer window, has now been forced to self-isolate following a round of routine testing of all club players and staff.
A statement from Atletico reads;
Our staff underwent PCR tests yesterday as recommended by La Liga, in addition to the first weekly antigen tests that appear in their protocol, and Moussa Dembele has had a positive result for COVID- 19 in the PCR test.
The forward remains isolated at home in strict compliance with the recommendations of the health authorities and La Liga protocol.
Atletico will now Yannick Carrasco and Mario Hermoso, Joao Felix and Dembele quarantining.
Atletico will definitely be without the services of Dembele and Felix for their upcoming La Liga fixtures against Celta Vigo and Granada.
They both could have been out of quarantine when Atletico face Levante on February 16, although their pass to fixture in that game is a negative COVID-19 test result.
Dembele is on loan to Diego Simeone’s side until the end 2020-2021 season with an option for the Spanish Club to buy for €33.5 million with a potential €5 million in bonuses.
The French Forward joined Lyon from Celtic in the summer of 2018 and has scored 45 goals in 108 appearances for the Ligue 1 side during that period. He helped the French side to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019-2020.
