Brighton facing questions over NHS testing kits

EXCLUSIVE

BrIgHTON are facing criticism from Premier League rivals for using testing kits supplied by the NHS after a third member of graham Potter’s squad tested positive for coronavirus.

Several clubs have held back from testing players until the Premier League’s privately operated system is in place.

That is expected to be signed off at today’s shareholders’ meeting.

Brighton, one of at least six Premier League clubs who have raised objections to Project restart, have not breached testing protocols, but their willingness to use NHS tests has raised eyebrows.

While only a handful of testing kits have been procured by Brighton, there is concern about how clubs using hospital supplies will be perceived.

Providing comprehensive testing is one of the keys to ensuring football can return on June 12.

The Premier League have reached an agreement with Hong Kong-based biotechnology company Prenetics to deliver a £4million programme, which will see players tested twice a week, with results inside 24 hours.

The new protocols are not expected to apply until players are permitted to train in small groups, which is pencilled in for a week today.

Brighton are standing by their testing procedure which, despite resulting in three positive results, has been extremely limited. It is understood the club obtained a small number of testing kits from Brighton and Sussex Hospital before the outbreak was classified as a pandemic in March.

Only four Brighton players have been tested, with three positive results and one negative.

In addition, the club have loaned the Amex Stadium to the national testing effort, with up to 1,400 tests taking place daily, so they are adamant that they are not depleting NHS resources.

Brighton chief executive Paul Barber (pictured) yesterday confirmed the positive test. ‘Despite all the measures we’ve all been taking, when players haven’t been in significant training at all, we’ve still suffered another player testing positive for the virus,’ said Barber. ‘We want to make sure that the protocols are safe and secure and mitigate the risk as far as they possibly can.’

Brighton’s objections to Project restart centre on the health of their players and the plan to use neutral venues. All 20 clubs will demand more information on the neutral-stadium plan, as well as vote on proposals to extend players’ contracts beyond June 30.

Meanwhile, the planned return of football in germany next weekend has been thrown into doubt after second-division side Dynamo Dresden went into a 14-day quarantine after two players tested positive for coronavirus. Their match at Hannover has been postponed.

In Spain, five players have tested positive for Covid-19, though La Liga officials are continuing with plans to resume.