Raphael Varane tests positive for COVID-19, to miss Champions League game vs Liverpool

Real Madrid suffered a big blow on Tuesday as star defender Raphael Varane tested positive for COVID-19 and will therefore, miss their Champions League quarterfinal 1st leg against Liverpool.

The La Liga champions are scheduled to play the Premier League holders at the Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium, Real Madrid's training center, on April 7.

Real Madrid conducted the tests on Tuesday in which they confirmed that Varane returned a positive result. He will also miss the La



Liga 'El Clasico' against Barcelona on Saturday.

Real Madrid, the 13-times European champions will be without both first- choice central defenders for the game against Liverpool and probably the second leg at Anfield on April 14, as captain Sergio Ramos is sidelined due to injury.

Zinedine Zidane is set to field Spaniard Nacho Fernandez alongside Brazilian Eder Militao at the heart of his defence in the first leg, a repeat of the 2018 Champions League final which Real won 3-1.