Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal tests positive for COVID-19.

“The medical team of the Chilean national team emphasizes that at the request of the player Arturo Vidal, it is announced that he has been diagnosed positive for Covid,” the national team said on its official website.

This comes ahead of the World Cup qualifying match scheduled for Thursday this week between Chile and Argentina, where it could a blow to the team for this crucial moment. However, the team is lucky since no other player has been found positive.

The 34-year-old initially had gone to seek medication for tonsillitis but on further testing, he was found positive for coronavirus.

Vidal who was vaccinated against the virus on Friday, will now miss the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifier with Argentina and another qualifier against Bolivia next week in Santiago.

The Chilean star played for Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Barcelona before moving to his current team Inter Milan.

He joined Leverkusen in the year 2007 and stayed there upto 2011. The German club paid US$ 7.7million out of US$ 11million where the former club Colo-Colo paid the rest. Vidal helped Leverkusen to become the runners up of the Bundesliga in his final season. He scored two goals in the round of 16 of UEFA Champions League in 2011.

On 22nd July, 2011, Vidal joined Juventus signing a contract of five years with a fee of €10.5 million. He won five Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, two Super Coppa Italiana and Champions League runner up.

In Bayern Munich, where he joined on 28 July, 2015, the  Chilean won three Bundesliga titles, one DFB-Pokal and two DFL-Super Cups.

LaLiga giants Barcelona signed him on 6th August, 2018 on a three-year contract but stayed there for two years. He won one LaLiga and Supercoppa de Espania title.

On 22nd September 2020, Vidal moved to Inter Milan on a fee of €1million. He has helped his team to win Serie A title for the first time since 2009/10 season. This title became the 19th in their football history.