MANCHESTER CITY have had to shut down a section of their training base for a deep clean after several academy players tested positive for Covid-19.
The Citizens’ Under-18 and U23 teams were set to travel to Loughborough for a training camp this week.
But five positive Covid cases in the academy ranks has thrown their plans up in the air.
According to The Athletic, the academy building has been shut off for the next ten days to allow it to be deep cleaned.
Youngsters who have tested positive will have to self isolate away from fellow academy players, staff and first team stars, but will be monitored on site.
The Covid outbreak in City’s academy ranks has thrown a curveball at first team coach Pep Guardiola.
Guardiola had hoped to use some of City’s young guns in the senior side’s pre-season friendly against Preston North End on Tuesday, July 27.
And with some players in isolation for the next ten days, they will most likely miss the fixture.
City’s squad is filled with international stars who competed in either the Euros or the Copa America, leaving only four first team players set to return to training on Monday.
Captain Fernandinho – who signed a one-year extension – will be present, as well as Zack Steffen, Benjamin Mendy and Joao Cancelo.
Cases of Covid-19 continue to rise in England ahead of Monday’s ‘Freedom Day’, which will see pandemic restrictions lifted.
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Meanwhile, Boris Johnson’s plan to lift virtually all of England’s pandemic restrictions has been slammed as a risk to the world by 1200 scientists.
Michael Baker – a professor of public health at the University of Otago and a member of the New Zealand ministry of health’s Covid-19 technical advisory group – is disappointed with the UK’s lack of leadership in the public health crisis.
He said: “In New Zealand we have always looked to the UK for leadership when it comes to scientific expertise, which is why it’s so remarkable that it is not following even basic public health principles.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
