Carlo Ancelotti to lead Real Madrid against Chelsea after negative Covid-19 test

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti will be in the dugout for his team's Uefa Champions League quarter-final first leg against Chelsea on Wednesday after testing negative for Covid-19.

Ancelotti tested positive on March 30 and did not travel to London with the squad having also missed Saturday's 2-1 La Liga win over Celta Vigo.

“Real Madrid CF is pleased to announce that our coach Carlo Ancelotti has returned a negative result for Covid-19, and will therefore travel to London this morning to join up with the first team,” the club said in a statement.

Real, who have won the Champions League a record 13 times, will be looking for revenge against Chelsea who beat them 3-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals last season.

Ancelotti is fondly remembered at Stamford Bridge for his two-year spell as Chelsea manager between 2009 and 2011. The Italian led the club to the Premier League and FA Cup double in his first season, before getting sacked at the end of his second year after the club finished runners-up.

In his second stint as Real Madrid manager, Ancelotti led the club to the 2014 Champions League title first time round, and looks on course for his first La Liga crown with Los Blancos eight-points clear at the top of the standings. Should they convert their advantage, Ancelotti will become the first manager to win league titles in all five of Europe's big leagues.

Real Madrid's Gareth Bale smiles during a training session at Stamford Bridge ahead of Wednesday's Champions League first-leg quarterfinal against Chelsea. AP