BRIGHTON CHIEF EXECUTIVE Paul Barber has confirmed a third player at the club has tested positive for coronavirus.
The unnamed player will go into 14-day isolation while he recovers from the virus.
The PA news agency understands the rest of the Brighton squad will continue to train as they have been doing during the lockdown, both at home and in solo sessions at the club’s training ground.
Two other players, whose names have also not been revealed by the club, contracted the virus earlier in the pandemic. They are understood to have since recovered but it is not clear whether or not they have returned to training yet.
Barber said on Sky Sports News: “Unfortunately we have had a third player test positive just yesterday.
“Despite all the measures we have all been taking over the last few weeks, when the players haven’t been involved in taking any significant training at all, we have still suffered another player testing positive for the virus.
“There are concerns and I think it is normal for all clubs to have those concerns. We want to make sure we do all that we can that the protocols that are put into place are safe and secure and mitigate the risk.”
The news comes ahead of Monday’s crunch Premier League meeting, where clubs are expected to vote on Project Restart’s plans to complete the season at neutral venues.
Brighton have been vocally critical of that idea, insisting that the campaign should be played out on a home-and-away basis.
The PA news agency understands that is the only issue of the planned resumption that Brighton are against and want the chance to secure survival on the pitch.
It is understood they are against the idea of the current sides occupying the bottom three – Norwich, Watford and Aston Villa – being relegated if the season cannot be completed.
The Seagulls have received criticism for their vocal stance but Barber insists all clubs will act with a degree of self-interest.
“People will accuse us of self-interest, I totally understand that, but at this stage of the season there is self-interest at every level of the table,” he added.
“There is as much self-interest at the top as there is at the bottom, there is as much self-interest in the middle as there is at the bottom.
“Everyone has different objectives for the season and we are all looking to play out the season — if it is safe to do so.
“We really do want to play and we want to make sure the competition stays as fair as it can be despite these exceptional circumstances that we are facing.”
The news of the third positive test comes as Seagulls technical director Dan Ashworth has called for players’ safety to be on top of the agenda at Monday’s Premier League meeting.
“The safety of players and staff is top of that list, everyone’s working hard to minimise risk for those groups,” he told the club’s official website.
“Then there’s a series of things: Where will the games be played? When can we start? When can the players train to make sure they’re not at risk of injury? How will the games be aired?
“The most important thing is safety, then you can look at the whole thing and discuss how it can all look. It’s about putting together the pieces of the jigsaw once we have a better idea of what the plan looks like.”
Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish is backing Premier League clubs to eventually come to a consensus.
Aston Villa and Watford have joined Brighton in speaking out against plans to play the remaining 92 games at neutral venues and it is sure to be a point of contention.
But Parish hopes clubs can unite.
“There are no easy answers, we have to work through it as a collective and I think we will and come out with a consensus in the end,” he said on The Andrew Marr Show.
“[The meeting] is another part of the journey in trying to get football back. We would be derelict in our duty if we did not find a way for the game to come back.
“It may prove beyond us, we have huge challenges in order to get it back to complete the season but we are planning on doing so.”
La Liga has confirmed that five players have tested positive for coronavirus.
All five unnamed players – across the leagues top two divisions – are asymptomatic and in the final phase of the disease but will now go into quarantine and be unable to return to group training until they have had two negative tests.
The Spanish league resumed group training this week with a view to resuming their league in June.
A La Liga statement read: “After completing the medical tests on the minimum essential personnel referred by the clubs to start training, some cases of Covid-19 have been detected.
“Specifically, between the clubs of La Liga Santander and La Liga SmartBank, five positive cases have been detected in players, all of them asymptomatic and in the final phase of the disease.
“As planned, the next steps with people who have taken a stand for Covid-19 are: To remain in quarantine in their homes, carrying out the same individual physical activity that they have been doing until now, following the instructions of the club, for those who are footballers.
“In the next few days they will be tested again for the Covid-19 and, after obtaining two negative results, they will be able to join the training sessions at their club’s facilities.
“In addition, La Liga will offer people who live with those affected the possibility of also doing screening tests.”
Just void the season ffs,why risk people’s lives.
@leewiller: why “void” the season? 76% of the season has been played.
Average out the games and finish it as it stands. Yes, I’m a Liverpool supporter, but the teams that have done well this year like Leeds deserve a chance in the premier league.
@leewiller: why not just adapt a sensible wait and see approach? There is unlikely to be football in August, who knows when it will be safe to play again, so why the rush….other than money
@leewiller: exactly its May 10th and the world isnt recovering as quickly as what we thought. Time to call it.
@leewiller: If this season gets void all future ones also because the virus is going nowhere. What’s really sickening and pathetic are clubs trying to sabotage the restart for their own pathetic reasons….I really hope Brighton go down they are the worst of the lot. Live goes on and so will football….because if it does not God help us all.
@Peter Hughes: It’s looking like they could use the Points Per Game method if no more games are played. If they do, Brighton will just about stay up. West Ham, Villa and Norwich will go down. Plenty won’t be sorry to see Karen Brady gone.
There’s no chance of the season been voided which will disappoint plenty!
@Peter Hughes: Brighton want it restarted only when safe to do so. They big issue they have is the neutral venues proposal.
@Alan McArdle: funny how they have an issue with it. And other bottom of the league clubs too though isn’t it?
@leewiller: If they void this season, there will be no next season.
@Alan McArdle: Rubbish Brighton are thinking up every ridiculous excuse possible to prevent it starting up…nasty horrible little club if any club goes bust they should if there is any justice in the world.
@leewiller: hahaha love the way people are asking for a void and say it’s about lives. Not gunna happen but make sure you self quarantine for the next few years with a nice supply of sour grapes.
Give Liverpool the title, don’t relegate any teams, promote the top 2 from each league and then next season relegate 5 teams.
@Nowa Huta: can’t have one rule for the top and one for bottom. Finish the season or just void it all.
@Nowa Huta: agree with this as a Leeds fan, the pl should award the league to Liverpool and plan to hopefully start the new season in September or October
Regardless of what happens, liverpool will have an * beside them forever. Very unsatisfying for pool fans
@Dave Harris: the table will still read 25 points clear. Worthy champions Dave
@Dave Harris: Wouldn’t bother me one bit. City conceded it. It’s like a 1 inch tap-in in golf.
@Dave Harris: but if there’s no asterisk after the next 3 or 4 we’ll get over it. Remember klopp isnt going anywhere soon whereas Guardiola is nearing his usual limit…
Very convenient
@Rory Mackle: Grow up
@Rory Mackle: whats that mean? Players are getting coronavirus just to not resume the season?
@Rory Mackle: So lie about players catching it, and they’ll never ever be found out?
Rory, I’m sure you’re aware that The UK, is riddled with cases, 32,000 deaths but nope, it won’t infect bottom 6 players, no chance, they’re all lying!
@Brian Dunne: possibly. It’s worth maybe 120 million to the club to stay up and it’s not a serious health concern to young people
@Rory Mackle: that’s shockingly naive and dangerously arrogant. What if some of the players are in close contact with people with underlying conditions, their parents or even their own children? Is their health irrelevant because some people have to watch a game?
@James Tobin: superb game of putting words in other people’s mouths. Lol. Muppet.
@Rory Mackle: “not a serious health concern to young people”. This is shockingly naive.
@James Tobin: whatever
If all these players are in lockdown since March,how has this player and the players in Germany contracted coronavirus now
@John Paul Leahy: Because they are all back training, and they are living. How does anyone contract it now??
@John Paul Leahy: So you saying players were flaunting lockdown and are immune to virus?
You do know players need to…eat, so they’ll go out to a…supermarket and go exercising…outside. So, yeah there ya go. Imagine that.
@Gavin Mckenna: in reality it’s VERY unlikely you’ll catch it from going to the supermarket or park. Naughty boys more like haha
I was in favour of finishing the season up to a while ago but I think they should cancel it and just have the final table as it stands.
@Johnny O’Hooligan: Even though 4 teams have played a game less than everyone, 1 who’s in bottom 2? PPG only way, but they will take it to back to 27 games played by every team as opposed to uneven games. Been done in France to finish it up.
@Johnny O’Hooligan: this is what’s going to happen. To much money involved to void it
Why don’t they cancel the season, hand Liverpool the championship, have no teams relegated and Leeds and West Brom promoted and have 22 teams next season. Then no one loses out.
@Kevin Lawless: except 3rd to 6th in the Championship?
@Kevin Lawless: I think if the season is cancelled then they don’t get the majority of the tv money and if they lose that there is a good chance of clubs going bust. So it will be finished at some stage.
@Kevin Lawless: the third team (from the championship) that is supposed to be promoted loses out! Also what about champion league qualification?
If the end cannot be completed as the first part it should be null and void.
Same rules 45min aside
No neutral venues etc.
That’s the only way Liverpool could be crowned legitimate champions.
Otherwise it’s not worth restarting.
If all these players are in lockdown since March,how has this player and the players in Germany contracted coronavirus now
@John Paul Leahy: I suppose the players in Germany has not eaten since March too.
The reality is, more players who were asymptomatic will be diagnosed with covid and go into quarintine for two weeks away from the main squad. They will rejoin squad if they receive two negative results. The season can and should be finished before August. I agree there is no need to rush back. Forget about 2020/2021 until this season has finished. It would be cruel to deny Liverpool the title, which they (lets face it) won in February. The hysteria on Sky Sports needs to calm down with ex peofessionals talking nonsense everyday. YNWA
What’s the difference in prize money per position in the table does anybody know? How many of these games need to be played? Obviously the majority will affect European Football or relegation but, as they become apparent, perhaps they could scrap the meaningless games?
@Cian Nolan: There’s no prize money if the games aren’t played. Sky and bt have suspended subscription payments so they’re hardly going to pay for a product that hasn’t delivered their end of the bargain. A knock on effect of that is clubs who depend on that money to stop them going into administration need to play these games regardless of their position in the table.
@King B: Cheers. Didn’t know that.
It’s all about television millions