MOURINHO: PLAY ON BRUCE: NO, IT’S WRONG

PREMIER LEAGUE managers are at odds over football’s best course of action as the Covid-19 crisis in football — and the country — worsens.

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho yesterday called on the Premier League to stick to their own rules after warning them that postponing his side’s trip to coronavirushit Aston Villa is ‘impossible’.

Mourinho highlighted that topflight clubs were braced from the start of the season for games to go ahead if they had 14 players.

A Covid outbreak forced Villa to field a squad of youth players against Liverpool in the FA Cup last night.

But Newcastle manager Steve Bruce questioned the ‘morality’ of Premier League football carrying on amid a dramatic rise in Covid cases nationwide.

‘Financially it’s right to play on, but for me, morally, it’s probably wrong,’ he said. ‘I understand people want to see a game but we are just as vulnerable as everybody else. I’m vulnerable, aren’t I? I was 60 last week. I’m like everybody else, we all should be worried. I’ve seen two of my staff, who are my age, and how it affected them, it was pretty scary stuff.

‘The speed which it hit our club within hours, it was quite incredible how it rips through you.

‘What is it going to take (for football to be stopped)? I’ve seen people here get very, very sick and one member of staff was so ill he almost ended up in hospital. If that’s not serious enough, what will be?

‘When I see Manchester City and Aston Villa suffering and I see all the clubs lower down the leagues suffering ... we are all socialising in our working environment because we have to. We had followed all the protocols before we had the mass infection, but it’s still very, very difficult to contain.

‘The virus is everywhere now, it’s not just football, this new strain makes it more catchable. I’ve seen it first hand and we are still suffering weeks and weeks later.’

Newcastle, Fulham and Manchester City have all requested for league games to be rearranged after being hit by the virus. But Mourinho, whose side’s game against Fulham was postponed last week, says moving next Wednesday’s game is out of the question with Spurs’ packed schedule.

Asked if the same policy of playing the kids in the Cup now needs to be enforced in the league, Mourinho said: ‘Since pre- season, we knew that eventually it would happen, to have difficult situations to manage and to play a game with 14 players, from all players available including academy players.

‘Every club was ready for an extremely difficult situation, having lots of players not available. It’s the moment for the Premier League to show leadership. If we don’t play against Aston Villa, we will have three matches postponed and that is impossible.’ Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted the situation is ‘ frightening’, but believes the show must go on.

‘You’re worried about what’s happening in the country,’ he said. ‘I personally feel safe within our bubble. We’ve taken all the steps we’ve had to and followed protocols.

‘What’s happening outside is frightening, we have a responsibility and duty to stay clear and keep within the bubbles.

‘I hope we can continue playing because it’s had a positive impact on everyone in lockdown.

‘Even I feel it. At home when you don’t have a game yourself, you’re looking forward to watching a game on telly. The mental wellbeing from football has been a big positive.’ Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola admitted Manchester City are headed for the unknown after a spate of coronavirus cases. Kyle Walker and Gabriel Jesus will both be involved in tomorrow’s FA Cup tie with Birmingham after isolating, with City also close to welcoming back Ederson and Ferran Torres.

But Guardiola said he cannot predict how players will react to the virus and revealed Ilkay Gundogan took weeks to regain fitness from it earlier in the season.

‘We are concerned about this and we need to be careful,’ Guardiola said. ‘Some players react well but, for example, Gundogan struggled a bit after what happened in the summer. The doctor doesn’t know how the bodies will react.’

Derby County’s FA Cup tie at Chorley today will go ahead despite three further positive tests in Derby’s Under 23 squad, as they have the required 14 players to fulfil the tie. With interim boss Wayne Rooney and several players isolating, the Rams will take on the National League North side with a combination of Under 23 and Under 18 players.

Pat Lyons and fellow development coach Gary Bowyer will be in charge of the side. ‘In response to media reports this evening, Derby can confirm that a small number of individuals that were due to travel to Chorley have tested positive for COVID-19,’ the club confirmed in a statement last night.