SOUTHGATE’S COVID D-DAY
GARETH Southgate will discover tomorrow night how severely his squad will be hit by the Premier League’s Covid outbreak.
There have been several positive tests at top-flight clubs with England players, increasing fears of a spate of withdrawals ahead of the Nations League doubleheader next month.
Tottenham, whose players Harry Kane, Eric Dier and Harry Winks are in the England squad, are understood to have several Covid cases. Of those three, only Dier played for Spurs in their friendly win over Reading yesterday. France midfielder Tanguy N’Dombele has been confirmed as testing positive and at least two more at Spurs have the virus.
Sportsmail revealed last week that England captain Kane has been forced to quarantine after arriving back from the Bahamas.
Chelsea have been hit badly by players having to quarantine — including Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount, who are both in Southgate’s squad for the away games in Iceland next Saturday and Denmark on Tuesday week. West Ham and at least one other club who have players in the squad are known to have had their pre- season preparations disrupted by Covid issues.
Players will be tested before the squad meets up at St George’s Park on Monday and it is expected that several will not report for duty. Southgate is due to discover those absentees tomorrow night with withdrawals confirmed in the early part of the week.
Marcus Rashford is set to be among those to pull out, though the Manchester United forward is struggling with an ankle injury rather than Covid issues. The FA are planning to confirm the identities of those withdrawing, but not the reasons why, for medical confidentiality reasons.
Meanwhile, Iceland are unhappy after Everton midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson and Burnley’s Johann Berg Gudmundsson made themselves unavailable for the game against England.
Iceland coach Erik Hamren said: ‘Due to their situation at the clubs, they have chosen not to come. Of course I am not happy, I have to accept it.’