Juventus star Paulo Dybala revealed Wednesday that he has been given the all-clear six weeks after contracting the disease that has affected the world, but Serie A rivals Torino confirmed that one of their players had tested positive.
"Many people talked in the past weeks ... but I can finally confirm that I am healed. Thank you once again for your support and my thoughts on all who are still suffering from it. Take care," tweeted the 26-year-old Argentina forward.
But city rivals Torino revealed that an unnamed player had been diagnosed with the global pandemic during testing of players and staff as Serie A teams return to individual training this week.
"The football player, currently asymptomatic, was immediately placed in quarantine and will be constantly monitored."
Torino have been one of the clubs to express concerns about a return to competition as Italy grapples with a pandemic which has killed nearly 30,000 people in the country.
Torino president Urbano Cairo this week conceded there were "divergent opinions" even if officially all 20 Serie A teams have backed completing the season suspended since March 10.
Dybala was one of three Juventus players to test positive along with Italy defender Daniele Rugani and France's Blaise Matuidi.
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Rugani was the first Italian top-flight footballer diagnosed with the virus on March 11. Both he and World Cup winner Matuidi recovered mid-April.
Dybala, on the other hand, was diagnosed on March 22, along with his girlfriend Oriana, who recovered sooner from the disease. He posted a picture of himself on Instagram with his arms outstretched looking at the sky: "My face says it all, I'm finally cured from Covid-19."
Italian champions Juventus also confirmed that their Argentine star had recovered.
"Dybala performed, as per protocol, a double check with diagnostic tests (swabs), which came back with negative results," Juventus said in a statement.
"The player has, therefore, recovered and will no longer be subjected to the home isolation regime."
On Thursday, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) will meet the government's Technical Scientific Committee to discuss the medical protocol for group training scheduled on May 18.
But sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora warned that it was "impossible to set a date" for a return to Serie A action before seeing how the contagion evolves over the coming weeks.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Isabella Bonotto
