Leicester City trio in self-isolation after showing coronavirus symptoms
Three Leicester City players have been isolated from the rest of the squad after displaying flu-like symptoms, the club have said. Leicester believe that the players were suffering from common seasonal illness but have taken the precautions recommended by the government in the face of the coronavirus outbreak.
Brendan Rodgers, the manager, said: “We’ve had a few players that have shown symptoms and signs [of coronavirus]. We’ve followed procedures and [as a precaution] they have been kept away from the squad.”
A statement from the club later clarified the manager’s remarks. “In recent days all three players presented with extremely mild illness and were advised by club medical staff, consistent with current government guidance, to stay home and contact the NHS 111 service.
“All three players were subsequently advised by NHS 111 that their symptoms were consistent with common seasonal illness and that a seven-day period of self-isolation was appropriate as a precaution. There was no recommendation that further testing would be necessary. The club is in regular contact with the relevant players, whose symptoms remain mild and self-manageable.”
In another development, Chelsea cancelled training on Thursday and carried out a deep-clean process at the training ground and Stamford Bridge after a player complained of symptoms, the Guardian understands.
Rodgers had been speaking in the buildup to Leicester’s Premier League fixture at Watford, which is still scheduled to take place in front of a crowd on Saturday. Asked about the prospect of being made to play the match behind closed doors, or perhaps not at all, he said: “Of course, from a football perspective, it would be a shame, but the public’s health is the most important aspect in all of this.”
Over the past few days football across Europe has been placed under intense pressure. Some matches have been moved behind closed doors but on Thursday Spain’s La Liga joined Serie A in suspending fixtures altogether for two weeks.
The Premier League fixture between Manchester City and Arsenal was postponed earlier this week because players of the latter club had been in contact with the Olympiakos and Nottingham Forest owner, Evangelos Marinakis, who has the virus. Arsenal’s game at Brighton on Saturday has been postponed after Mikel Arteta tested positive for the virus. Otherwise English football has declared “business as usual”, but that looks increasingly set to change.
While all clubs are reluctant to abandon league football and cup competitions before they are completed this impulse is increasingly outweighed by concerns over exposing themselves to the virus. In a statement released this week, the international players’ union, Fifpro, called for suspensions to be considered.
“Professional footballers, like other workers, are concerned about themselves and their families and friends being exposed to the Coronavirus during their daily lives,” it said. “We ask that employers and competition organisers respect the wishes of players to take short-term precautionary measures including suspending training or competitions.”
In Italy the former Southampton striker Manolo Gabbiadini, now with Sampdoria, was confirmed as having tested positive for Covid-19. He is the second Serie A player with the illness, after the Juventus defender Daniele Rugani. In Germany, Hannover’s Timo Hübers also tested positive.
Uefa announced on Thursday that it would host a video conference meeting on Tuesday to discuss the response to the pandemic. It would incorporate “all domestic and European competitions, including Euro 2020”.