Families of Sheffield Wednesday players spoken to in major effort to prevent Covid outbreak

The country will be thrown into fresh restrictions next week after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his ‘Plan B’ outline to swerve the Omicron variant.

Among the new rules will be the need for so-called ‘vaccine passports’ or proof of a negative test for supporters on arrival to grounds.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa Conference League clash with Stade Rennais on Thursday evening was called off due to a number of cases within the Spurs camp.

Speaking ahead of Johnson’s ‘Plan B’ announcement, Moore revealed measures had already been taken at the club as they pushed back into ‘phase one’ rules including segregation at the training ground and at meal times.

Asked about concerns over any potential outbreak, he said: “I’m really worried and I am looking at the squad and taking things into the consideration of going back into a ‘phase one’ scenario at the football club in terms of really stripping it back down, segregating the players on a day-to-day basis, using all the changing room space we’ve got.

“Even at meal times and stuff, we’re really structuring things through.

“For us, we’ve gone back to our phase one plans and are taking it really seriously at the club. We’re wearing face masks in and around the club and are really taking it seriously, getting tested on a regular basis.

“It’s a worrying time. Even talking to the families of the players, we’ve been talking to them about where they’re going and all of that. We’re taking it all into consideration.

“We’re doing our absolute utmost best during this Christmas period to make sure we maintain the standards in terms of keeping distance and keeping safe.”

Moore, an asthmatic, knows better than most what the virus can do having been hospitalised by its after-effects in the early weeks of his Hillsborough reign.

The Owls were decimated by an outbreak back in January that postponed matches and meant they could name only three outfield players on the bench for an FA Cup win at Exeter City.