Ex-Sheffield Wednesday boss Steve Bruce bans handshakes at Newcastle amid coronavirus fears

Bruce, who was appointed at Sheffield Wednesday in January 2019 and resigned six months later, is head coach at Newcastle United.

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Speaking about precautions in place at the club’s training ground amid fears over the spread of coronavirus, Bruce said his players have been banned from shaking hands on the advice of a club doctor.

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He said: “There's a ritual here that everybody shakes hands with everybody as soon as we see each other every morning - we've stopped that on the advice of the doctor.

“We’re like everybody else. Thankfully, we've got a superb doctor here and he will keep us informed of what we have to do.

“We're like everybody else, we're glued to the TV for where it's going to go next and let's hope it doesn't get any worse in this country.”