Juventus midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur has tested positive for Covid-19, the club announced on Thursday.
The Uruguayan is not experiencing any symptoms but has entered isolation in accordance with virus protocol, keeping him out of the Serie A clash against Lazio as well as his side's Champions League last-16 meeting with Porto.
Bentancur's absence comes with the Turin giants already short in the midfield area, with Andrea Pirlo's squad without injured Brazilian orchestrator Arthur Melo.
What did Juventus say about Bentancur?
"Juventus football club announces that, during the checks provided for by the protocol in force, Rodrigo Bentancur has tested positive for Covid 19," the club wrote in a statement on their official website.
"The footballer is in isolation and asymptomatic.
"The club is in contact with the relevant health authorities for the definition of an effective implementation of the protocols required to allow the training and competition activities of the team group."
Which other players have tested positive for coronavirus at Juve?
Juventus have seen a number of their first-team players sidelined due to coronavirus, with star man Cristiano Ronaldo having recorded a positive test while on international duty with Portugal back in October.
Midfielder Weston McKennie, who completed a permanent move to the Serie A club earlier this week, has also been absent due to Covid-19, while the likes of Juan Cuadrado, Matthijs de Ligt, Alex Sandro and Paulo Dybala have also had spells out due to coronavirus.
Meanwhile, Juve have discovered when their postponed Serie A fixture with Napoli will take place, with Lega Serie A confirming the match has been rescheduled for March 17.
Which midfielders are available to Pirlo now?
Following the news regarding Bentancur, McKennie, Aaron Ramsey, Adrien Rabiot and Nicolo Fagioli are now the central midfield options available to Pirlo, though McKennie has been dealing with hip pain and Fagioli has barely featured this season.
Bentancur has played in 33 matches across all competitions in the 2020-21 campaign, so he will be sorely missed as Juve try to overturn a 2-1 aggregate deficit against Porto in the Champions League.
Further reading
- Dragusin to commit future to Juventus
- How McKennie went from bargain-bin buy to one of Juve's MVPs
- Benzema discusses life with and without Ronaldo
