Southgate still wary over Wags and Covid

FROM JOHN CROSS in Doha GARETH SOUTHGATE is still on a Covid red alert and is not ready to relax rules for players’ wives and girlfriends.

The Wags and other relatives who have travelled to Qatar to support the team were able to see their loved ones at the end of the Iran game. Some of the squad hugged their family and kids (above).

But England boss Southgate is still being cautious over the virus and, even though he wants to arrange a get-together with the families, he will first study the data and infection rates.

The Lionesses were put under lockdown during the women’s Euros last summer and Southgate wants a more relaxed approach but is still wary.

“I think towards the end, they had to batten it down a bit more because they had a few positive cases so we’re going to have to monitor it throughout,” he said.

“There’s this balance of the spirit and happiness of the group and the medical line of zero risk.

“Sometimes if you’re going to take zero risks it can kill it for everybody, so we’ve got to try and find that balance.

“We’re going to see how the next few days go and we’ve talked about maybe looking at something after the second game but we’ve got to monitor what the rates out here as much as anything else.”

England’s Euros campaign was dogged last year by Covid, with Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell having to self-isolate after a scare.

Qatar has relaxed its Covid rules for travelling supporters and taking a test before getting on a plane is no longer a requirement.

Some of the England squad’s families are dotted across Qatar’s capital Doha, with others flying in from Dubai on a match-to-match basis.