Covid-19 case Ronaldo furious at missing Juventus game against Barcelona

Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo will miss the Champions League group stage clash with rival Lionel Messi after the Italian champions failed to declare the Portugal global had tested negative in time to face Barcelona.

Ronaldo was referring to the polymerase chain reaction test, a method of detecting the genetic material in the virus to determine whether it is present in a person's body.

Ronaldo, who has more than 241 million Instagram followers, removed the comment after an hour and a half.

The Serie A champions announced Ronaldo tested positive for COVID-19 on October 13, and UEFA protocol states a player has until 24 hours before kick off to return a negative test before he can be declared available. Ronaldo, 35 is a five-time Champions League victor and the career scoring leader in Europe's top club competition, with 130 goals in 177 appearances.

The match against Barcelona, which kicks off at 2000 GMT, will be the fourth missed by Ronaldo, who has no symptoms of the virus, and has posted photos of himself training on social media.

As disappointing as Tuesday's news is to Juve fans and neutral supporters alike, Ronaldo and Messi are scheduled to meet again in early December as Juventus and Barcelona close out their Group G slate.

The two global icons, both considered among the best players of all time, have not faced off since Ronaldo left Real Madrid for Juve in 2018.

Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci has been included in the list hours before kick-off having been uncertain with a thigh injury, with captain Giorgio Chiellini still out.