Chile midfielder Vidal recovering from COVID-19 in hospital

SANTIAGO, June 1 (Reuters) - Chile and Inter Milan midfielder Arturo Vidal is recovering in hospital after contracting COVID-19, the Chilean national team announced on Tuesday.

A statement said that the 34-year-old tested positive for the virus after initially being hospitalised with severe tonsilitis.

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

“Arturo has been hospitalised and isolated from the group for more than 72 hours in a preventive measure indicated by the medical team, due to the presentation of previously reported severe pleural tonsilitis.”

Vidal is the only member of the squad to have tested positive from the latest round of tests.

The midfielder acknowledged the diagnosis on Instagram.

“I will recover soon,” he said in a post. “And I ask you, please, whoever can be vaccinated to do so!”

The 119-time Chile international is certain to miss his country’s FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Argentina on Friday.

Chile then face Bolivia in another qualifier on June 9 before kicking off their Copa America campaign with another match against Argentina on June 13. (Reporting by Fabian Cambero and Alasdair Mackenzie; Editing by Nick Macfie)