Real Madrid will have to face Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday night without Raphael Varane, who has tested positive for COVID-19.

The World Cup-winning centre-half joins Blancos captain Sergio Ramos in being ruled out of a meeting with the Reds, bringing further headache to Zinedine Zidane.

The Blancos have posted in a statement on their official website: “Real Madrid CF informs that our player Raphael Varane has given a positive result in the Covid-19 test that has been carried out this morning.”

Varane, who is already isolating and complying with the necessary health measures, will also be unavailable for Saturday’s Clasico against Barcelona at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano and the second leg against Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday, April 14.

The Frenchman did not train with his Real Madrid teammates on Monday night as he awaited confirmation of the positive result, which arrived on Tuesday morning.

The absence of Varane leaves Zidane with Nacho Fernandez, who is one yellow card away from suspension in La Liga Santander, and Eder Militao as his only options at centre-back.