Cristiano Ronaldo 'COULD STILL face Barcelona and Lionel Messi in Champions League' despite second positive Covid test – reports

Cristiano Ronaldo may still be able to play for Juventus in their UEFA Champions League clash with Barcelona on Wednesday despite testing positive for Covid-19 a second time, according to reports.

Ronaldo initially tested positive for coronavirus on October 13 and according to Portuguese outlet Correio de Manha he returned another positive test on Thursday, putting his chances of appearing in next week’s clash in jeopardy.

However, the 35-year-old has been asymptomatic since contracting the virus and it has been reported that Juventus submitted his medical documentation to UEFA on Wednesday, keeping in line with their deadline.

According to UEFA protocols, players who have tested positive can provide medical reports demonstrating their recovery from Covid to the UEFA Protocol Advisory Panel (UPAP) - who will then decide whether or not they will be allowed to feature - provided it is done a week in advance of the game.

Having adhered to that deadline, it seems Ronaldo will be able to participate provided he returns a negative test on Tuesday.

The Bianconeri will be glad to have him if he can play. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is the record Champions League goalscorer, having hit the net a staggering 130 times in the competition.

He has 68 goals in 91 appearances for Juve since his arrival in 2018, including three strikes in the two matches he’s played in this campaign.

The Old Lady were held to a 1-1 draw without him on Saturday at Crotone, who are 19th in Serie A, though they were able to get their Champions League campaign off to a winning start against Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday.

Barcelona will be a different prospect, however, and their two meetings could be a deciding factor in reaching the round of 16 as group winners or runners-up.