Lowe had concerns following Argyle’s Covid tests
PLYMOUTH Argyle manager Ryan Lowe says football stadiums should be the safest places to be after it emerged this week that a player and staff member tested positive for Covid-19 just days after a Carabao Cup clash at Leyton Orient.
A 3-2 victory for Orient in that game saw them through to round three, where they were due to face Tottenham Hotspur last Tuesday, but the game was called off just hours before kick-off when it emerged that a considerable number of Orient players had tested positive.
The tests were paid for by the Premier League club and after the worrying results, Orient informed Argyle and Mansfield Town, who they’d played the previous Saturday, that there were positive tests returned.
The Pilgrims were then tested themselves, returning two positive results on Wednesday afternoon, although the club are refusing to name the affected duo.
Lowe stopped short of criticising Orient, but questions need to be asked as to how so many players returned positive tests.
“It was a bit of a worry but, what I would say is that we as a football club have done everything by the letter of the book,” Lowe said when asked about it prior to tomorrow’s League One clash with Shrewsbury Town. “Whether Orient have, I don’t know. I don’t want to rub salt into the wounds because we don’t know what’s happened, but we feel we should go to any stadium and it should be the safest place to go.
“It certainly is at Home Park. You guys (the media) aren’t here today for obvious reasons, but you have been here and seen the protocols, which have been top drawer, so the football club needs to take great credit in that.
“When we found out we needed to be tested, then it was a worry because what if six or seven had gone down with it? Was I concerned about that? Yes, I definitely was. Did I have it in the back of my mind that I didn’t think any of our lads would have it? Yes I did. But then, when Leyton Orient players came out with what they had, then I was worried.
“It’s now a known fact that we have two cases, but we will follow the protocols and regulations in terms of what we have to do and we look forward to getting those lads back as quickly as we possibly can.”
Asked if it had been a disruption in terms of preparing for the match with Shrewsbury, Lowe said: “No. The lads were off yesterday (Wednesday) and we got tested on Tuesday after training, so it hasn’t affected us at all because we weren’t training.
“The lads are gutted that two of our people have got it, but there are a lot of happy faces that it isn’t seven or eight and happy faces that they haven’t got it and they are clear again.
“I think it’s a positive that they know they haven’t got it. I am sure Shrewsbury will be in their bubble and doing the right things – in fact, I know they will because they are well organised and well structured and a good football club and we have done the same.
“There are no qualms from us, we are looking forward to Saturday and champing at the bit. The lads are raring to go.”
Meanwhile, Lowe confirmed that Argyle captain Gary Sawyer has undergone surgery to clean out the ankle which has disrupted his season so far.
The Pilgrims boss said: “Gaz Sawyer has just had a successful operation on his ankle. He had it cleared out, so that’s good news for us and good news for Gaz.
“Ben Reeves has done his (fitness training) programme now, so we will assess him in training and see where we are with him and the other one is Luke Jephcott, who is going very well .
“Saturday will probably come too soon for him, but other than that, we are in good shape.”