LAMPS: WAKE-UP TO REAL TOLL OF COVID-19

FRANK LAMPARD says football must take seriously the impact of Covid-19 on players – both in the long and short term.

Chelsea midfielder Kai Havertz struggled for fitness and form after contracting coronavirus in November.

Manchester United star Paul Pogba has spoken of his own struggles with the long-lasting effects of the illness.

Newcastle pair Jamaal Lascelles and Allan SaintMaximin have also both been hit by long Covid, with neither appearing since the Magpies’ home clash against Chelsea on November 21.

And, on Friday, Pep Guardiola confirmed his Manchester City side will be without five players who have the virus for this afternoon’s trip to face Lampard’s men at Stamford Bridge, with City contributing to a record 18 positive tests in the Premier League.

With cases on the rise both in football and wider society – and the impact he has seen Covid have on some of his players – it is no wonder that Lampard is concerned.

He said: “If people aren’t taking the effects long Covid is having on players seriously, then they will be very quickly.

“We are, certainly, because every case is different.

“I was listening to the radio on the way to work on Friday and they were talking about the vaccine.

“Now the government are saying it’s three months afterwards for the second dose, but GPS are saying it maybe should be three weeks.

“Nobody knows. Nobody knows what’s going on.

“What we do know is that there are the effects being talked about of long Covid.

“Some people bounce through it – Marcos Alonso came back from two weeks off and didn’t feel anything. He came straight

WARNING Lampard is concerned back into training. Other people are having fallout from it for months.

“So, everybody, we have to address it seriously.

“It’s not an excuse, it’s not a reason, it’s a fact that players are having to get over this in different ways and some of them are finding it tough.”

Havertz (below) struggled badly with it, which is why Lampard is keen for Chelsea supporters to show patience with their £72million summer signing.

He added: “Just as Kai was just coming to terms with the Premier League – and he had some really good performances with us – he got Covid and he had Covid quite severely as people are really starting to open up about now. “I have read a few things recently about how much people can suffer with it now.

“Some people are asymptomatic.

“He definitely has had a bit of a fallout with that physically and I speak with him a lot and we know that.

“It’s something we are trying to help him deal with.

“So, yes, the expectation around him, you have to put context into the story.

“Kai’s talent is undoubted, I see that every day.

“Giving him the time to adapt to the Premier League and to our team is crucial.

“I have full belief in him. We need to give him that time particularly because of the Covid situation, that is a problem.

“That is not a non-issue, it is an issue that is related beyond his illness.

“It might sound like I’m repeating it, but Kai had eight days with us, five work days, before he played and that is just not beneficial for a player in any league, let alone when you are coming into the fastest, most physical league in the world.”