BEIJING, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese best-known footballer Wu Lei can recover from COVID-19 in one week or two if the illness does not cause severe symptoms, said a Chinese expert.

Wu, who plays for Spanish La Liga strugglers Espanyol, has been tested positive, and he is in self-isolation at home in Barcelona with mild symptoms, the Chinese Football Association said last Saturday.

Wu can regain his health fast if his symptoms do not turn severe, Jiang Weiping, a lung specialist from Shanghai Huadong Hospital, was quoted as saying by Shanghai-based Great Sports Channel on Tuesday.

"If his symptoms remain mild, I don't think there is any need for him to return to China to receive treatment. He now needs quiet rest to recuperate," said Jiang, who has been dispatched to Wuhan and working there on COVID-19 patients for 53 days.

"Considering his fitness, I think he can recover in one week or two," he said.