Cristiano Ronaldo Out vs. Barcelona; Juventus Didn't Declare Negative COVID Test

Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will not play in Wednesday's UEFA Champions League match against Barcelona after being left out of the squad. 

On Tuesday, ESPN reported "the Italian champions failed to declare the Portugal international had tested negative in time" to be eligible to play.

According to ESPN: "UEFA protocol states a player has until 24 hours before kickoff to return a negative test before he can be declared available. As Juve and Barca meet on Wednesday and no negative test was presented to UEFA, Ronaldo will not be available for selection."

Juventus confirmed on Wednesday that Ronaldo is not in the matchday squad, officially ruling him out of the contest:

Ronaldo tested positive for the coronavirus Oct. 13 while with the Portugal national team.

Italy's sports minister, Vincenzo Spadafora, suggested the 35-year-old forward may have broken COVID-19 protocols by traveling back to the country after testing positive, per Ryan Kelly of Goal. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner denied those allegations in an Instagram post.

"I did not break any protocol," Ronaldo said. "They're saying that I broke Italian laws, but it's all a lie. I spoke with my team, and we have the responsibility to do things right. Everything was done with authorization. Principally for the Italian man whose name I'm not going to say, it's a lie. I abided by all the protocols."

Juventus kicked off their Champions League campaign with a 2-0 victory over Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday. Alvaro Morata, who filled the void created by Ronaldo's absence, scored both goals.

"Playing in the Champions League with this shirt is a great emotion," Morata told reporters. "We want to get right to the end, and we're fighting for this. It was important to win against a team that can give you problems because they are fast and very young."

Morata will likely play the same role against Barcelona with Ronaldo still sidelined.

It will also delay the latest chapter in the longtime rivalry between Ronaldo and Barca's Lionel Messi until Dec. 8, when the clubs are scheduled to face off at Camp Nou to close out the UCL group stage.