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      Uefa scrap Champions League and Europa League Covid testing for fully vaccinated players ahead of next month’s kick-off

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      UEFA have removed the need for fully vaccinated players to undergo Covid-19 tests before Champions League and Europa League matches.Stars have been regularly checked for the virus before all games since the pandemic broke out.
      The new Champions League season kicks off next weekCredit: Getty
      But those who have been doubled-jabbed, or recently recovered after testing positive for Covid, will no longer require a Uefa-mandated test.
      European football’s governing body confirmed the decision in a statement updating their pandemic protocols ahead of the tournaments kicking off.
      The ban on away fans was also lifted, potentially allowing supporters to travel abroad to watch their team in group stage action.
      In practice, the guidelines for Covid testing have been handed down from Uefa, to the clubs and the countries they are competing in.
      If all members of an away team are required to take a test to travel across borders, they will still have to do so – depending on that nation’s rules.
      Furthermore, the onus is on the clubs to ensure their players are fully vaccinated and to properly report this to the relevant authorities.

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      It is not widely known which footballers have accepted their jabs although managers such as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Mikel Arteta have openly admitted that some of their stars are refusing to do so.
      Uefa’s ruling allows teams playing on home turf to forego testing their vaccinated players, who could produce a positive result and miss games despite being far less likely to suffer the ill effects of the virus.
      Yet clubs could still choose to do so anyway, to ensure maximum safety and help protect those unable to get jabbed, or those who do not want to.
      The Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League kick off next week.
      Manchester United are the first British team in action, travelling to Switzerland’s Young Boys on Tuesday, September 14.

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      Newcastle ‘highly unlikely’ to allow Miguel Almiron to travel to red-list countries for Paraguay duty over Covid fears

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      STEVE BRUCE has said it’s unlikely that Newcastle will allow Paraguay ace Miguel Almiron to play in red-list countries during the international break.Paraguay face Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela, who are all on the UK’s red list, in their next round of games in September.
      Bruce has said that it’s highly unlikely that Almiron will play for Paraguay in any of their matches against countries on the red listCredit: AP
      But Toon midfielder Almiron will have to quarantine for 10 days on his return if he travels with the Paraguayan squad.
      Which is a loss that Magpies boss Steve Bruce isn’t prepared to deal with in the opening stages of the Premier League season.
      However, Prem clubs are in talks with the government in a bid to relax the restrictions.
      Speaking on the situation, Bruce said: “I think it would be highly unlikely to send your players to a red-list country.
      “The one thing you can’t do is let them go, come back and expect them to stay in a hotel for 10 days because he (Almiron) will probably miss three games.
      “It’s a difficult situation for everybody and we are talking to Premier League bosses.”

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      “It is a bit of a concern – let’s hope common sense prevails.”
      And the Magpies need to keep hold of all their stars at the moment after their poor start to the season.
      Bruce’s team languish in 18th place with two losses in as many matches.
      They lost 4-2 to West Ham in the Prem opener, and this was followed up with a 2-0 thumping to Aston Villa last weekend.
      Bruce gave £25million new signing Joe Willock his first start since signing from Arsenal permanetely, but he failed to have an impact on the match.

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      Liverpool block Mo Salah from playing in Egypt’s World Cup qualifier against Angola due to Covid quarantine concerns

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      LIVERPOOL have attempted to block Mo Salah from joining up with Egypt for their upcoming matches over coronavirus concerns. The Reds are reluctant to allow their star forward to travel to the African nation because of quarantine rules and fears of catching the virus.
      Mo Salah was called up to the Egypt squad but Liverpool want to stop him joining upCredit: Reuters
      Egypt take on Angola in Cairo on September 2 and Gabon away three days later in World Cup qualifiers.
      Should Salah go to red-listed Egypt, though, he would need to quarantine in a UK hotel for ten days upon his return.
      That would force him out of the Reds’ clash with Leeds.
      However, Liverpool are happy for the attacker to face Gabon because the country is on the amber list.
      The Anfield club wrote to the Egyptian FA to express their views and request Salah is removed from the squad after his call-up.
      In a statement, Egypt said they have asked Fifa for a special travel exemption, meaning Salah could play in his homeland and not be forced into isolation in the UK.

      It added that Liverpool have requested a number of their other international players are allowed to stay on Merseyside for the September break.
      The full statement read: “The Egyptian Football Association continues its continuous contacts with the International Football Association regarding facilitating the task of international players joining their national teams to participate in the World Cup qualifiers, which requires exempting them from travel restrictions imposed on them in the countries in which they play due to the Corona pandemic, so that they can join their national teams.
      “The Egyptian Football Association had received a letter from Liverpool FC apologizing for the inability of its player, Mohamed Salah, to join the national team in its next camp, which includes facing Angola in Cairo and Gabon in Franceville during the first and second rounds of the African continent’s qualifiers for the World Cup.
      “The English club’s letter referred to the precautionary measures applied in England to confront the outbreak of the Coronavirus in the world, which puts returnees from some countries in compulsory health isolation for a period of ten days upon their return to England.
      “In this letter, the English club also expressed its hope that the Egyptian Federation would understand that it was forced to do so, in the face of the player being subjected to a quarantine for this period and being affected by this physically, as well as the uncertainty of the conditions of the place of the stone determined by the English authorities.
      “It is reported that Liverpool FC took the same position with a number of its foreign players.”
      Salah contracted Covid in Egpyt last November and Liverpool understandably do not want a repeat.
      A Liverpool source told The Athletic: “In effect, this isn’t club vs country, it’s club and country caught up in a difficult diplomatic situation as a result of the pandemic and associated rules.
      “We want a solution but an exemption has to be the starting point.”
      Brazilian trio Alisson, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino could be in a similar boat regarding quarantining on return if they head back to South America for the matches against Argentina, Chile and Peru.

      Brazil’s final match against Peru takes place on September 11, just a day before the Elland Road clash.
      And given the players will self-isolate for ten days when they return, Liverpool will probably be without the group against Crystal Palace as well.
      Should the situation not be resolved by the time the October international break comes around, they could sit out of a crunch game with Manchester United at Old Trafford.
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      Premier League bosses admit they cannot force stars to get vaccinated after Arsenal and Chelsea outbreaks

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      PREMIER LEAGUE bosses admit they are powerless in their battle to get stars vaccinated.Arsenal and Chelsea both have players in isolation ahead of tomorrow’s derby as Covid continues to cause havoc.
      Arsenal club captain Aubameyang and forward Lacazette missed the opening day 2-0 defeat to Brentford after they tested positive for Covid-19Credit: GETTY IMAGES
      Gunners quartet Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Willian and Alex Runarsson all tested positive last week, while Chelsea duo Christian Pulisic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek were ruled out yesterday.
      Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was shocked that last week’s opener at Brentford was not called off — even though they did not request a postponement.
      Arteta, who only has Aubameyang from the Covid-hit players back in training, said: “We had an incredible 48 hours before that match which created a big uncertainty and probably an unprecedented Arsenal line-up.
      “For me, it was simple. My best players have Covid and they cannot play.
      “So we did what we had to do and the club doctor explained the situation, how it had developed and the risks that we considered.
      “But the regulators decided that the best thing to do was to play the game.

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      “Most of the players are double vaccinated and others have had one. But some were vaccinated and still got the virus and we have had some cases that you cannot believe how they picked it up.
      “We are encouraging them all to get vaccinated because they are going to protect themselves, their families and the environment around the club.
      “I don’t know if some people were completely convinced to do it at the beginning, but you see the benefits at the moment are much bigger.
      “So we are trying to guide them and explain the reasons why it’s better to do it — but in the end it’s a personal decision.”
      Chelsea chief Thomas Tuchel saw Pulisic ruled out even though he is doubled jabbed.
      And the German thinks Arsenal’s Covid woes will heap extra pressure on his team when they visit the Emirates Stadium tomorrow.

      Tuchel said: “I don’t know what their team will be — but their  situation is a bit like they can play the underdog role here because of the complications they have had with Covid.
      “It is not my role to tell my  players to get vaccinated, but this is clearly the recommendation from the doctors and the medical  department.
      “I am vaccinated twice and so are a lot of my players, including  Christian.
      “Any time this virus comes back and spreads with variations it’s  possible it could harm football, as it does with society and social life.”
      Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says there is no way he can force his players to get vaccinated.
      Goalkeeper Dean Henderson is still struggling with long Covid nearly two months after getting the virus.
      We are encouraging them all to get vaccinated because they are going to protect themselves, their families and the environment around the club.Mikel Arteta
      Solskjaer said: “Not all of the players have been double jabbed. I have encouraged them to take the vaccination but you cannot force anyone to do that.
      “The whole situation around Covid is unknown and new for everyone. People get it who are not as fit as footballers and show no symptoms.
      “Footballers can then have after effects, side effects like tiredness. It’s a scary virus and you need to be careful.”
      Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola added: “No one can obligate them to do it.
      “I think the best way is to explain to them the benefits of being vaccinated, for themselves and for their families.

      “After that, everyone is going to decide but when all the scientists, doctors and specialists say that the only solution is to be vaccinated, I think they should consider it.”
      Newcastle boss Steve Bruce, who has keeper Karl Darlow recovering from Covid, said: “We’ve got a lot of players who haven’t had the jab.
      “There are opinions, just like if you walked in among your mates. If you’ve got a group of 20, you’re not all going to have the same opinion. There are a lot of conspiracy  theories out there.”

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      Newcastle boss Steve Bruce urges youngsters to get vaccine after coronavirus ‘wiped out’ keeper Karl Darlow

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      STEVE BRUCE warned youngsters not getting the Covid vaccine to look at how the virus “wiped out” Karl Darlow.The Newcastle keeper was hospitalised last month and is not in contention for tomorrow’s opener against West Ham.
      Newcastle boss Steve Bruce urged youngsters to get the coronavirus vaccineCredit: Rex
      Karl Darlow was hospitalised last month with Covid-19Credit: Getty
      With Darlow, 30, easing his way back into training and first-choice stopper Martin Dubravka recovering from foot surgery, Freddie Woodman will make his Magpies league debut.
      Bruce has seen the impact of Covid  on professional athletes more than most managers, with Allan Saint-Maximin and Jamaal Lascelles badly hit last season as the virus ravaged the squad.
      He said: “It doesn’t look like Karl is going to be right after his episode. For any young  people who aren’t  having this jab, there’s a prime example.
      “Karl found himself in  hospital for the best part of a week. He’s dropped over a stone-and-a-half in weight and it’s really knocked him around.
      “He’s young, fit and healthy and it left him in a very poorly situation. Bit by bit, he’s getting stronger but it wiped him out.
      “Just because you’re under 30 does not mean you’re immune to it.

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      “We have seen the evidence in our squad of just how sick even young people can get. We’ll give Karl as much time as he wants.”
      Woodman, 24, comes in off the back of two successful loan spells at Swansea in the Championship.
      The academy star was close to sealing another season-long loan at Bournemouth before Bruce pulled the plug.
      Woodman has made four  FA Cup appearances for Toon and Bruce added: “Freddie’s waited patiently and it’s his big opportunity.
      Newcastle keeper Freddie WoodmanCredit: Getty
      “Two years playing regularly out on loan has given him valuable experience.
      “Somebody’s injury or illness has opened the door and this is now his chance — and, to be fair to the kid, that’s what he’s always wanted.
      “I’ve been very, very pleased with what I’ve seen over the last six weeks in particular.
      “And the reports we had from Swansea have always been very positive.”
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      Ex-Salford boss Johnson says horror Covid battle was scariest time of life after suffering kidney failure & pneumonia

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      FORMER Salford City boss Anthony Johnson revealed he almost died in a horror Covid battle.The 38-year-old  — who rose to fame in the BBC documentary about the Class of 92’s ownership of the club —  suffered kidney failure and pneumonia when he contracted the virus.
      Ex-Salford City gaffer Anthony Johnson was told his kidneys were failing whilst being treated in hospital for Covid-19
      He said: “It was the scariest time of my life. For a day or two, I thought that was it.”
      Johnson (left) tested positive for Covid last month — after his daughter, Bella caught it at school.
      He isolated and experienced flu-like symptoms but things took a turn for the worse and he was taken to hospital with serious breathing problems.
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      Paramedics arriving at his home were even forced to use a defibrillator to shock him back to life after they struggled to find a pulse.
      The father-of-three — who is now co-manager at Chester — had to wait five hours before he was taken in because the  Bury hospital was overwhelmed.
      He said: “At this point, I was thinking I could have been dead  — because if they hadn’t found my pulse, I wouldn’t have known any different.
      “I’d just had this defib and I’m in an ambulance bed thinking that I’m done.
      “Those paramedics were with me for nearly five hours. So while they’re sat with me — not being able to do anything apart from making sure I don’t die — there are other people not being seen to.”
      Johnson was eventually taken to the Covid ward where he was put in a bed next to elderly patients.
      I’m a nobody, I’m not a celebrity, I’m not a famous football manager. But I’ve had thousands and thousands and thousands of messages from peopleAnthony Johnson
      He was diagnosed with pneumonia, was forced to wear an oxygen mask and could not move without using a wheelchair.
      He said: “I was saying to the nurses and doctors, ‘I know I’m not as poorly as everyone else is in here.
      “And the doctor said, ‘You are, your kidneys are failing,  your blood oxygen level is lower than anybody else’s in here, you’re as poorly — if not worse — than everybody else’.
      “When he said that it struck a chord with me at how close I was to probably dying.”
      To make things even worse, Johnson could not see wife Kayla and kids  Lewis, 16,  Bella, nine, and Zac, seven.
      After seven nights in hospital, Johnson is now feeling “a million times better” — and was overwhelmed by the support of Chester.
      He added: “It has just been absolutely unbelievable. You realise how important you are to some people.
      Johnson said he has received thousands of messages from well-wishers as he recovers in hospitalCredit: Getty

      “I’m a nobody, I’m not a celebrity, I’m not a famous football manager. But I’ve had thousands and thousands and thousands of messages from people.
      “The players sent me a montage video with them and Bernard Morley, our co-manager.
      “I cried. Before that, I’d never cried in my whole life.”
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      Some Man Utd stars are ‘not sure’ about getting Covid jabs ahead of new Premier League season, says Solskjaer

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      OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER has admitted some of Manchester United’s player are ‘not sure’ about getting Covid jabs. The United boss intends to hold a session with the squad to inform them about the importance of being vaccinated.
      Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will hold a session with his players discussing the Covid jabCredit: PA
      Solskjaer said: “Yeah, we’ve informed them and some of them are already fully vaccinated, some are not sure.
      “But we’re going to have a bigger session with them now because I think it’s important that everyone knows what it’s about.”
      The Red Devils’ pre-season game at Preston was cancelled due to a number of suspected coronavirus cases in their camp.
      Solskjaer recognises the squad have to be careful to avoid an outbreak with fans returning to stadiums this season.
      United start the season at home to rivals Leeds United but interaction with supporters will have to be limited.
      He said: “We live in a world where the [infection] rates are still high.
      “Footballers have been privileged because when the world has been closed, we’ve been able to play football.
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      “Now that the rest has opened up, we have to be really careful because if they spend too long in a place, they might catch something, so we’ve got to be really careful. But it’s a sacrifice we’ve got to make to play football.”
      The United boss added: “We’ve been privileged, but at the moment our day is different to anyone else’s because signing autographs for the kids, taking pictures – yeah, we want to do it, but we can’t. That’s hard for us.
      “For the Leeds game, Old Trafford will be full, fans will be outside, we want to engage with them, but we can’t really because you think if I catch something here, it’s a four-game ban. Literally. So it’s such a difficult one.”

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      Aston Villa vs Sevilla CANCELLED as Spanish club scrap pre-season trip to UK over coronavirus fears

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      ASTON VILLA’s pre-season plans have been thrown into chaos by Sevilla who have cancelled their UK tour due to Covid worries.The Spanish side were scheduled to fly to the Midlands tomorrow to face Villa in a pre-season friendly.
      Villa are frantically searching for a replacement for Sevilla who cancelled their proposed friendly tomorrow due to Covid worriesCredit: Getty
      But the La Liga outfit have revealed that the game, or any other for that matter until the start of their season, will not go ahead as a precautionary measure.
      They wrote on their website: “Sevilla FC have cancelled their trip to Birmingham and tomorrow’s friendly against Aston Villa at Villa Park for reasons relating to COVID-19.
      “Sevilla FC will not play any more friendlies before La Liga’s imminent start on 15 August against Rayo Vallecano at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán.”
      But Villa have no plans of letting Sevilla’s issues derail their preparation for the new Premier League season which gets underway next week.
      On Twitter, the club revealed that they’re already in talks to replace the Spanish side with new opponents.
      They wrote: “Aston Villa can confirm that negotiations are currently taking place to source replacement opposition for tomorrow’s fixture that was due to take place with Sevilla at Villa Park.”
      Sevilla’s cancellation is the latest in Villa’s turbulent pre-season campaign that’s been marred with Covid troubles.
      Their boss Dean Smith had to self-isolate for Villa’s first two friendly matches against Walsall and Stoke City.
      Then their game against Nottingham Forest, which was supposed to be live-streamed to fans, was cancelled due to an Covid outbreak at the Championship side.
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      A Forest statement released at the time read: “Today’s behind closed doors friendly with Aston Villa due to take place at Villa’s Bodymoor Heath Training Ground has been cancelled.
      “The decision was taken in the best interests of both sets of players and staff after a small number of positive cases of Covid-19 were identified within The Reds’ first team squad via the club’s continuous testing programme.
      “Those impacted are self-isolating in line with Government guidance.”
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