Gareth Bale & 3 other Real Madrid stars test COVID positive; Cadiz clash in serious doubt

Marco Asensio, Gareth Bale, Andriy Lunin, and Rodrygo are the latest Real Madrid players to test positive for COVID-19. Along with the above-mentioned players, the club's assistant coach Davide Ancelotti has also returned a positive result, as per a statement released by Real Madrid. On Wednesday, the Spanish giants had announced that Marcelo and Luka Modric have tested positive for COVID-19.

Real Madrid's clash against Cadiz in serious doubt

All Real Madrid players and coaching staff were subjected to RT-PCR testing after Marcelo and Modric returned positive tests on Wednesday. Later, the club announced that four more players had tested positive for COVID-19. On Monday, Real Madrid will face Cadiz in a La Liga match.

If Real Madrid has less than 13 first-team players available for the match, the game may be postponed, according to La Liga rules regarding COVID-19 outbreaks in training camps.

It remains to be seen whether the game between Real Madrid and Cadiz is called off by La Liga as a precautionary measure to contain any further outbreaks. Real Madrid are slated to play Athletic Club on December 23, which is also their last game of the year. 

COVID impact on the sporting world

The dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases has impacted a number of other sporting leagues around the world. American basketball competition NBA recently called off a couple of games when players and support staff tested COVID positive.

Earlier, the Premier League announced the postponement of four fixtures due to COVID-19 outbreaks inside camps. The league issued a statement where it apologised to the fans for the inconvenience and the disruption caused by the postponement of the matches. The league also remarked that the PL board agreed to postpone the matches after assessing individual requests from clubs. 

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