ABERDEEN’S game against St Johnstone has been AXED after two of their players tested positive for coronavirus.
Saturday’s Scottish Premiership clash has been called off after the unnamed Dons pair returned positive results.
Aberdeen’s clash with St Johnstone has been axed after two players tested positive for Covid-19Credit: Reuters
A further six Aberdeen stars are also self-isolating after a team trip to Soul Bar in the city last weekend.
The Scottish city has seen a dramatic spike in cases of Covid-19 in recent days – with cases doubling in a 24-hour period at one stage.
Aberdeen has since been put on lockdown by Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, with the stricter measures enforced on Thursday.
The club cancelled training on Thursday after they learned one player had tested positive.
A second star soon followed – with both said to be showing no symptoms of the virus.
Sturgeon blamed a cluster of 20 bars and restaurants in the city for the spike in cases.
STURGEON FUMING
And the First Minister slammed players for breaching rules.
Sturgeon said: “When a football club ends up with players infected with Covid, and let’s remember this is not through bad luck but through clear breaches of the rules, we cannot take even the small risk that they spread the infection to other parts of the country.
“Football has been given the go ahead on the strict condition that clubs and players abide by the guidance that has been agreed.
“If they don’t do that, they put at risk the return of the professional game.
“To say this incident is deeply regrettable is an understatement.
“I’m pretty furious about this situation, because it shouldn’t have happened.
“If that guidance is not going to be adhered to then all bets are off.”
At 5pm on Thursday, Aberdeen was placed on a week-long local lockdown.
On the decision, Sturgeon said: “I know that this is a real blow to the city and all of us regret that we’ve had to take this position, but I do believe that people understand why it is necessary.
“There are just too many uncertainties about this outbreak right now so we are not yet confident that we can keep it under control without these additional measures.”
Aberdeen lost their first and only game of the 2020-21 season against RangersCredit: Rex Features
And after the outbreak, the Dons’ game with St Johnstone has been postponed.
It would only have been Aberdeen’s second game of the Scottish Premiership season.
McInnes’ men lost their opening match to Rangers 1-0 after a first half strike from Ryan Kent.
Nicola Sturgeon imposes Aberdeen lockdown with pubs to shut from 5pm and no indoor house visits after pub cluster
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
