Juventus star Paulo Dybala tests positive for COVID-19 four times in six weeks

Juventus and Argentina forward Paulo Dybala tested positive for novel coronavirus for the fourth time in a matter of six weeks.

Dybala was among the first players in the Serie A to contract the virus. His teammates Daniele Rugani and Blaise Matuidi had also contracted COVID-19.

On March 21, the 26-year-old Argentina international confirmed on social media that both he and his girlfriend, Oriana Sabatini, had tested positive for the disease.

Recently, it was reported that Dybala underwent four tests in the last six weeks and the latest one was once again positive. Spanish programme "El Chiringuito" was the first to break the news on Twitter.

As of now, there's not much clarity about when each of those tests was conducted. It is also unclear if his girlfriend is also tested as regularly as Dybala or if either of them is still displaying the symptoms of the disease. However, both are in good health, as evidenced by their personal social media posts.

With Serie A aiming to return to action by May, clubs including Juventus have started reaching out to their players, especially those who have left Italy amidst the lockdown imposed as a result of the pandemic.

Reportedly, Juve has called Cristiano Ronaldo and Douglas Costa back to Turin. The defending Italian champions will soon attempt to return to training, similar to what the teams in Germany and England have done.

However, it has been understood that the moment these stars arrive in Italy, they would be required to go into quarantine for at least 14-days before being permitted to reunite with their teammates at training.

The Italian government has allowed Serie A sides to return to individual training on 4 May and team training on 18 May. Such a decision was taken after the Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte talked about easing the country's lockdown restrictions.

Italy is one of the worst-hit countries in the world, with over 203,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 27,600 deaths already. Although the football fraternity in Italy is optimistic about the restart of the season, it is yet to be seen whether such a decision is viable.

In case Dybala continues to test positive, it would be certain that the Argentine won't be able to return to his club's training anytime soon unless the doctors permit him to do so.

With the outbreak not showing any signs of slowing down, sports enthusiasts might have to wait for a slightly longer period to watch their favourite stars in action.