Madrid’s Ancelotti likely to miss Chelsea game with COVID-19
MADRID (AP) — Actual Madrid will possible be with out coach Carlo Ancelotti for the primary leg of the Champions League quarterfinals towards Chelsea due to COVID-19.
Ancelotti examined constructive for the coronavirus final week and didn’t journey to London with the remainder of the squad on Tuesday.
There was a risk he might nonetheless make it for Wednesday’s match if he exams unfavourable in time to journey.
Ancelotti had already missed the crew’s 2-1 win over Celta Vigo within the Spanish league on Saturday, when assistant coach Davide Ancelotti, his son, was amongst these in cost.
Ancelotti, who had minor signs of COVID-19, is attempting to win his second Champions League with Madrid after serving to the membership carry the European trophy in 2014.
Karim Benzema and Ferland Mendy, who returned to motion on Saturday after nursing accidents, practiced usually forward of the journey to England.
Madrid was eradicated by eventual champion Chelsea within the Champions League semifinals final season.
Ancelotti coached Chelsea for 2 years earlier than his first stint with Madrid in 2013. The Spanish membership was coached by Zinedine Zidane in final yr’s semifinals.
Ancelotti had been the goal of criticism in Spain after the crew’s demoralizing 4-0 loss to Barcelona at residence within the Spanish league final month, when his experiments with the squad backfired.
With Benzema out injured, Ancelotti tried to make use of Luka Modric within the false-nine place as a substitute of including one other ahead, however the transfer did not work and Barcelona simply constructed the victory on the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
The hard-fought win towards Celta — with two penalty kicks transformed by Benzema — left Madrid 12 factors forward of Barcelona coming into the ultimate stretch, although the Catalan membership has a recreation in hand.
Ancelotti’s first stint with Madrid ended after criticism he did not rotate his squad sufficient, resulting in accidents to his gamers and to a lack of efficiency towards the top of the season.
Benzema and Toni Kroos have been among the many gamers who missed matches due to accidents lately.
Madrid had received 5 video games in a row in all competitions earlier than the loss to Barcelona, together with beating Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 within the second leg of the spherical of 16 of the Champions League when Benzema rallied the crew with a second-half hat trick after dropping the primary leg in Paris 1-0.
Madrid hasn’t received in its final 5 journeys to face English golf equipment, with three losses.
Madrid or Chelsea will play both Manchester Metropolis of Atlético Madrid within the semifinals.
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Tales Azzoni, The Related Press
