Sheffield Wednesday icon Nigel Pearson confirms Watford player 'awaiting test results' for Coronavirus

The former Sheffield Wednesday captain, who lifted the League Cup with the Owls in 1991, also suggested he believed the Premier League should postpone fixtures this weekend while the picture becomes clearer.

Pearson said the priority remains the “interests of the people who work here [at Watford] and their wider families”.

“We are talking about sport versus the well-being of people here,” he added.

“We are still preparing for the game, which is difficult bearing in mind the disrupted week we have had.

“We've had players, as most clubs will have done, who have had symptoms of not being well. We've had players experiencing illness this week, who have stayed at home.

“We had somebody with a chest infection, somebody with an upset stomach and players who have shown flu-like symptoms. We've got one player awaiting tests results on his symptoms. Not everybody is the same and we've had people who feel okay.”

Pearson, an Owls icon with nearly 200 Wednesday appearances under his belt, said: “It's not an easy situation to be involved in.

“We don't have anybody with a positive result, but I think in the current climate it's pretty inevitable we will have contact with someone who either has the virus or who has recovered from it. In the meantime we will continue to be vigilant and do what is the right thing for the well-being of everyone who works for this football club.”

The Premier League are meeting this morning to discuss next steps, as are the EFL. It is understood matches are very likely to be called off for the foreseeable future.

Pearson said: “We are trying to be proactive and hopefully the Premier League will make a strong decision based on what is good for everybody,”

Sheffield Wednesday are due to play Nottingham Forest on Saturday, with games against Bristol City and West Brom in the following week.