Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti ‘will NOT travel with his squad’ for their Champions League test at Chelsea… but will have ‘another PCR test to see if he can join his side tomorrow for their quarter final’

By Dan Ripley for MailOnline

Real Madrid could still be without manager Carlo Ancelotti for their Champions League tie at Chelsea on Wednesday after he reportedly did not travel with the squad to London on Tuesday.

Ancelotti tested positive for Covid-19 last week, with his son and assistant Davide in charge for the club’s 2-1 LaLiga victory at Celta Vigo on Saturday.

But according to Spanish radio station OndaCero via Alberto Pereiro, the former Blues boss will not travel with his squad and instead will take another PCR test in the hope he can join the squad on matchday.

Madrid confirmed last Wednesday that Ancelotti had tested positive with Covid and he he has since been isolating at home – although it is unclear whether he has been carrying any symptoms. 

Ancelotti will hope he can make a return to the club where he won the double in 2010 before he was sacked a year later, but will be unable to feature on the touchline or even be part of the club’s set-up in west London if he is unable to provide a negative PCR test. 

Despite Ancelotti’s absence at the weekend, Real still got back to winning ways under the caretaker charge of Davide Ancelotti, with two Karim Benzema penalties seeing off Celta Vigo.

Madrid had gone into the game off the back of a shock 4-0 hammering by Barcelona at the Bernabeu that had come following five consecutive victories.

Having previously won the Champions League three times as a manger, Ancelotti’s experience will be crucial to the Spanish league leaders, with midfielder Toni Kroos already admitting his side will face a tough test. 

‘They are the current Champions League champions, so it couldn’t be more difficult,’ the Germany midfielder said on his podcast last week.

‘There could hardly be a bigger hurdle, but we have to concentrate on ourselves, and if we play well, it’s possible to do a lot of things.

‘We have to try to be very good because that’s what we will have to be to reach the semi-finals.

‘Probably nobody wanted PSG in the last 16, and probably nobody wanted Chelsea in the quarter-finals. But that’s the way things are, and we have to accept them.’ 

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