Boss of Sheffield United's next opponents expresses Covid-19 fears

As Sheffield United prepare to face Crystal Palace without two first team players and numerous members of Chris Wilder’s backroom staff following their positive tests for Covid-19 earlier this week, Roy Hodgson, the London club’s manager, has warned it is impossible to “totally shield” Premier League footballers from the pandemic.
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Hodgson, aged 73, made the admission after Manchester City’s game against Everton was postponed because of an outbreak at the former champions’ training complex, while Fulham have also been forced to reschedule their meeting with Tottenham Hotspur for the same reason.

Like Wilder, whose side faced Burnley on Tuesday evening despite seeing their preparations affected by the virus, Hodgson stopped short of calling for the fixture schedule to be paused - a proposal which has been endorsed by West Bromwich Albion’s Sam Allardyce.

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But predicting that further disruption now appears inevitable, the former England chief said: “I have got full confidence with everything that the Premier League is doing, with us at our training ground and at matches to make certain that we keep the virus away.

Premier League football has reported a number of positive Covid-19 tests, including at Sheffield United: Mike Egerton/PA WirePremier League football has reported a number of positive Covid-19 tests, including at Sheffield United: Mike Egerton/PA Wire
Premier League football has reported a number of positive Covid-19 tests, including at Sheffield United: Mike Egerton/PA Wire

“But I think what this is showing is that, in a moment of time where the virus is spreading quite rapidly, it is impossible for people, however well shielded they are by the Premier League and by the protocols that we have, it is impossible to totally shield people from getting it.”

The South Yorkshire region remained under tier three restrictions following the latest government review of social distancing measures imposed as a result of the health crisis. But London has been placed in tier four, after a new and even more contagious form of the respiratory disease emerged in the south-east. Wilder and his players are only allowed to travel because of a special exemption for elite level athletes.

“The fact is they (players) are human beings,” Hodgson continued. “They leave the football club and they go home, and they have children who are coming back from school and they have to do their shopping.

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“So it is very concerning I must say. My hope is that we can survive it and keep banging on through as it were.”

“But I would if I didn’t say I am concerned about the frequency of the virus at this moment in time and I don’t see in football how we are going to be particularly shielded from it - even though we are trying so hard to remain shielded from it.”

Like other top-flight clubs, who have been told that competition chiefs have no plans to call a halt to this season’s programme, United are now performing tests twice a week rather than just once.

Despite seeing a number of players forced to self isolate during pre-season, after returning from trips abroad, United were able to prevent the virus from entering their camp until officials confirmed this week’s results.

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“It’s not down to the fault of anyone here,” Wilder said. “It’s not the processes, and the people taking care of those have been absolutely brilliant - they’ve done and are continuing to do an amazing job.

“It’s just one of those things that, sometimes, you can’t do anything about. It just happens and that’s the way things are in the world right now. I do think you’re going to see a lot more.”