The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Saints clash with Covid-19-hit Dons given green light
ST JOHNSTONE: Eight Aberdeen players to miss Perth trip
St Johnstone will face an Aberdeen side short of EIGHT first team players tomorrow after a day of coronavirus drama involving the Pittodrie club.
It emerged yesterday afternoon that two
Dons stars had tested positive for Covid-19, at which point a postponement of Saturday’s game at McDiarmid Park was starting to look likely. However, last night Scottish football’s Joint Response Group (JRG) ruled that although both unnamed men will have to self-isolate, along with another half-dozen who had been in “close proximity” to one of the positive two, the fixture will go ahead as scheduled.
Saints are now set to get a huge obvious advantage at McDiarmid Park in the live Sky Sports clash.
For the Dons, not only will they be eight short in Perth, it will be the same for their subsequent two matches against Hamilton and Celtic.
One of the two players has been confirmed as a positive by a follow-up NHS test, while the second player is awaiting the follow-up results, the JRG confirmed.
Both are said by Aberdeen to be asymptomatic.
Dons chairman Dave Cormack admitted the ruling was a “bitter blow” but didn’t challenge it.
He said: “After Saturday’s game, with all eyes on Pittodrie, we were once again commended on the stringent processes and measures we had in place.
“Given the efforts of everyone at the club and our investment in protecting our most valuable assets, this is a bitter blow.
“With two first team players testing positive for Covid-19, plus six others having to isolate for 14 days, it is also a harsh reminder of the severity and speed of spread of this virus.
“The club will be carrying out a full investigation but, as an immediate first step, we have reinforced the club’s Covid-19 protocols and the governing bodies’ guidance with every player and member of staff and will continue to regularly educate and remind everyone of what is, and what is not, acceptable in the current climate.
“We now have to focus on preparing for Saturday’s game under extremely difficult circumstances.”
The JRG statement read: “In light of the first minister’s increased restrictions imposed on the city of Aberdeen since a significant outbreak of Covid-19 this week, and following further investigation by NHS Grampian’s Health Protection Team, the Scottish Government has instructed that both players will require to selfisolate, along with a further six players found to have been in close proximity to the initial positive player. The initial positive player will require to self-isolate for 10 days from yesterday, with the remaining seven players to self-isolate for 14 days from yesterday.
“This instruction for self-isolation has been unanimously endorsed by the Joint Response Group.
“In light of the action taken, and after consultation with Scottish Government, Aberdeen’s Scottish Premiership match against St Johnstone on Saturday will go ahead as scheduled.”
Rod Petrie, JRG chairman, stressed that this case should serve as a warning to all clubs about the Return to Playing protocols.
He said: “As we have said from the outset, public health is the absolute priority of the Joint Response Group. As soon as we were informed of the positive tests, the information was immediately referred to the Scottish Government via our chief medical consultant.
“Given the well-documented outbreak in Aberdeen it was imperative that we took the swiftest action to enable the local health protection team to respond immediately.
“The Scottish Government’s instruction to the JRG was clear and unequivocal, as was our support of that instruction.
“Given the circumstances, we issue the strongest possible message to all clubs to ensure compliance with the twice-weekly testing procedure and Scottish football’s Return to Playing Protocol. It is imperative that everyone adheres to Scottish Government public health advice.”
All eyes have been on the Granite City over the last few days as far as the coronavirus in Scotland is concerned, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon increasing lockdown restrictions for seven days on Wednesday due to a spike in cases.
Bars and restaurants were ordered to close, there is a five-mile travel limit for leisure activities and people from outside Aberdeen have been
encouraged not to travel there.
It is the second time Saints have been caught up in coronavirus-related story, after their pre-season friendly against St Mirren was called off.
An Aberdeen player tested positive last month before the top flight resumed and is the only footballer to have returned one since training resumed – although manager Derek McInnes later suggested it had been a false positive.
Meanwhile, former Dundee United star Craig Conway is closing in on his first start for Saints, as Perth boss Callum Davidson assesses the options at his disposal to replace suspended Michael O’Halloran.
Davidson said: “It’s good to have options with the energy that the front players expend.
“The way we play I need to make changes and I’ve got the players there to do that. It might even be tactically tweaking things rather than just a straight replacement. We’ll wait and see what I do on Saturday.
“Craig’s season finished at the same time as us so he’s only had the 10 days or so training here.
“With him it’s about finding the right balance between game-time and training time and bringing him on at the right point.
“He’s definitely getting closer to a start. The extra week has helped him. It’s been a hard week’s training.
“We’re monitoring him properly so we judge it right.”
Reports earlier this week claimed Rangers, Motherwell and Hibs had escaped punishment for breaching coronavirus testing protocols.
It is imperative that everyone adheres to public health advice.
ROD PETRIE