TAMDEFENDS NIGHT OUT IN NEWCASTLE
will be without at least four first-team players for the trip to Ibrox.
Scottish football chiefs last night held a crisis meeting with top-flight clubs in a bid to keep the season going until the winter break.
The Joint Response Group hopes to tighten protocols as the game braces itself for an Omicron surge.
Meanwhile, Courts revealed United had a positive test before his squad even headed south last weekend and the ones who did travel were tucked up in bed early, watching the Formula One.
He is adamant United did everything they could to safeguard their players.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had asked people to postpone Christmas parties although the Tannadice players didn’t break any rules on their jaunt south.
Courts said: “I’m really comfortable with it.
“When you take these decisions as a club – and there were another 15 or 20 football clubs there the same weekend – then you always think ahead to the worst-case scenario.
“What we did was offer the players club transport to go down and minimise the mingling on public transport.
“We knew the itinerary of the players. To be honest with you, players are way more boring than they used to be.
“You used to have players going out for two days on end and into nightclubs.
“The reports I’m getting coming back are they were in their beds watching Formula One.”
United are confident they have the outbreak under control and all the relevant track and traces have now been completed.
Courts explained: “It started last week with a staff member having a positive case.
“From there we’ve gone through the appropriate protocols and internal governance and we have managed to contain it. There have been a couple of separate incidents this week but thankfully we have been able to adapt the training and minimise the disruption
“I was still able to go and watch the Rangers game last night. I spoke to their directors in their box.”
Courts is down to the bare bones with the Covid absentees, Callum Butcher suspended and Liam Smith, Marc McNulty, Kieran Freeman, Max Biamou, Lewis Neilson and Dylan Levitt injured.
But the manager is still confident he can put a competitive side out as they look to do the double on Rangers.
Courts admitted: “We still have a healthy squad to choose from.
“We have still managed to have a good planning week and we look forward to the game.”
Courts is hoping Scottish football can weather the Omicron storm through to the winter break.
He added: “I don’t want to use my status as a Premiership manager to look at anything but a positive time of the year where fans love their football over the festive period.
“We want fans in the stadium. The disruption with the Covid cases, which started with the positive case last week, is a new normal.”
The JRG issued a statement last night after the meeting between clubs designed to keep the season on track.
It read: “Following a video-call discussion with Premiership clubs, the JRG will begin consultation on the potential strengthening of protocols between now and the winter break to combat the spread of Covid and the increased transmission of new variants.”