FOOTBALL ON A CLIFF EDGE

Edwards believes the game is facing a crisis after his Shrewsbury team had their game called off while Arteta says virus is a huge worry for players

FOOTBALL is on a “cliff edge” with a Covid outbreak causing FA Cup chaos.

That is the warning from Shrewsbury midfielder Dave Edwards after the League One club’s game at Southampton became the first third round tie to fall victim to the pandemic.

The Shrews could end up forfeiting the match, with a number of players and staff testing positive for the virus.

Derby have to field their youngsters against Chorley tomorrow, Aston Villa announced ed a “significant” outbreak ahead ad of tonight’s clash tie with th Liverpool, while Burnley and nd Middlesbrough also reported d positive tests.

Edwards fears the new strain in of the virus will have huge ge ramifications for football – and nd that it could be transmissible le on the pitch. There is growing ng concern the situation is becoming worse than when n football shut down in March. h. “Coming into the winter it is a really terrible time for football at the moment,” said former Wales international Edwards.

“It’s only going to get worse over the next couple of weeks. We really are on a bit of a cliff edge. We all thought football was OK in terms of not getting Covid outside on the pitch.

“But this new strain looks like it could be transmitted possibly through playing matches – and that is the scary thing.”

Edwards tested negative but said morally the tie had to be called off for fear of infecting Saints players. He told talkSPORT: “There is no way around it at the moment. There’s no moral way this game can go ahead because i t ’s unfair on us as players and staff going down there and unfair on Southampton as well to put them at risk. We’re still hoping there may be a resolution further down the road but it’s looking unlikely. Everyone’s health and safety matters most.” Holders Arsenal tomorrow begin the defence of the trophy at home to Newcastle and boss Mikel Arteta (below) admits he is “worried” about the raft of new infections and rising cases. It was Arteta’s positive test in March which pre- empted football’s first lockdown and there is an ominous feeling again with the outbreaks at clubs and a rising death toll generally. Arteta said: “It’s worr ying a s we see every day what’s happening in the country and the level of infections. That is increasing. You can sense not the panic but the worry around everybody.

“Players and staff are worried but know in this environment they are really well protected. Obviously this virus is touching everybody now personally.

“We’re now very educated about it and have a history related to it. Then it becomes more worrying of course.”

Brighton boss Graham Potter ( far left), who on Su Sunday takes his team to Ne Newport, one of the worst hit areas in the UK, said:

“Fo Football becomes a bit sec secondary. For us to sit here as an industry and say we’re mo more important than anything els else is very foolish.

“People often refer to pre pressure. Look at the news, see peo people work on the front line, in the NHS with Covid, in the ho hospitals and I think, ‘ That’s pre pressure’. We always need an

e element of perspective.”