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      Cristiano Ronaldo ‘likely’ to miss Champions League clash with Barcelona after testing positive for coronavirus

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      CRISTIANO RONALDO is ‘likely’ to miss Juventus’ Champions League clash with Barcelona after contracting Covid-19.
      The 35-year-old tested positive while on international duty with Portugal and is now in self-isolation.

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      Cristiano Ronaldo is ‘likely’ to miss Juventus’ Champions League clash against Barcelona after contracting Covid-19Credit: AP:Associated Press

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      Ronaldo uploaded a selfie with his Portugal team-mates on Monday

      Goal reports the Portuguese superstar is set to miss the Barca game as Uefa rules mean he must be Covid-free at least one week before the October 28 clash.
      First, Ronaldo – who is not experiencing symptoms – will miss the Serie A trip to Crotone this weekend.
      And the former Real Madrid star will sit out the European opener against Dynamo Kiev on October 20.

      The Juventus forward played his country’s last two games, a friendly against Spain last Wednesday and then France in the Nations League on Sunday.
      Both games finished goalless, but the 35-year-old is now out of the match against Sweden on Wednesday night.
      After the news broke, Ronaldo’s stunning partner Georgina Rodriguez called him her ‘inspiration’ in a touching message.
      Rodriguez reacted to the announcement by uploading a screenshot of a Whatsapp video call between them alongside the message ‘You are my inspiration’ and a heart emoji.

      Ronaldo’s doting mum Dolores Aveiro was the first person to be told he had coronavirus, respected Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manha claimed on Tuesday.

      Manager Andrea Pirlo only pockets £1.6million-per-year after taking charge of the club

      Georgina Rodriguez reacted to news of her partner’s positive coronavirus test by sharing a screenshot of a video call between them

      The ex-Manchester United hero rushed to her side after she suffered a life-threatening stroke in March – but it was her turn to be worried about her son.
      She posted a picture of the 35 year-old on social media in a Portuguese top alongside the message: “God gave great battles to great warriors.
      “And this is another war you are going to win son.”
      During the France game, rising 17-year-old star Eduardo Camavinga sat on the bench and admired his idol Ronaldo on the pitch.
      But afterwards he managed to land the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s shirt and took to Snapchat to share a picture.
      He captioned the pic: “I won’t wash it.”

      Cristiano Ronaldo tests positive for coronavirus and axed from Portugal squad and put into isolation with no symptoms More

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      Ex-Man Utd star Ashley Young forced into self-isolation after testing positive for coronavirus, Inter Milan reveal

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      ASHLEY YOUNG has been forced to self-isolate after testing positive for coronavirus.
      Inter Milan confirmed the news that the former Manchester United star, 35, had contracted the virus on Sunday.

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      Ashley Young has tested positive for coronavirus and will now self-isolateCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      The Serie A giants said: “FC Internazionale Milano has disclosed that Ashley Young has contracted Covid-19 after taking a test yesterday at Appiano Gentile.
      “The English football player is now isolating at home.”
      Young stayed in Italy during the peak of the pandemic in March and April.
      He gave an insight into what life was life in Milan during that time and offered lockdown advice with a lengthy Twitter thread.

      And the restrictions meant he could not see his usual barber, therefore the ex-Aston Villa man allowed his hair to grow out before returning to training in May.
      The 39-cap England international has featured three times for Inter so far this season.
      He started the wins over Fiorentina and Benevento, grabbing an assist against the latter, before coming off the bench in the 1-1 draw at Lazio.
      Inter sit fourth in the Serie A table with Atalanta and rivals AC Milan the two teams on nine points from nine.

      And Conte’s side take on AC in the first Milan derby of the season next Saturday.
      But with Young testing positive just seven days before the match, he is set to be unavailable.
      After nine years with United, he moved to the San Siro in January and reached the Europa League final under Antonio Conte.
      However, the versatile wide man revealed he would love to retire at Watford if given the chance as he declared he would happily walk away from Inter.
      He came through the ranks at Vicarage Road – joining the academy in 1995 before making his first-team debut in 2003.
      Young said: “If I could go back and play there [at Watford] again, I would walk from Italy right now because it’s what I know, it’s where I come from and it’s what allowed me to be who I am and get where I am.
      “For me, at my age now, and you can ask my family, you can ask my agent, if I had the opportunity to go back and finish my career at Watford, I would jump at the chance.”

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      Young would love to go back to WatfordCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

      Ashley Young insists he would ‘walk from Italy right now’ to play for Watford again 13 years after quitting for Aston Villa More

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      Premier League to show every single match – but the extra games will only be available on Sky and BT apps and NOT on TV

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      PREM clubs are today poised to agree to non-televised matches being available to all fans.
      But the games will NOT be on TV and supporters will have to access matches on their personal devices through BT and Sky apps.

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      Manchester United fans will be able to see all their team’s games live – but have to go through an appCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Ever since the Prem’s restart in June, all matches have been available through one of the Prem’s four broadcast partners – Sky, BT, Amazon prime and the BBC.
      With fans locked out, the clubs felt they had no option to ensure supporters were able to watch their teams in action.
      But there are concerns that the two main broadcasters’ patience over the loss of their prized exclusivity is not boundless and that there could be a knock-on impact with the companies demanding a further rebate.
      Prem clubs already face having to pay back £330m over the next two seasons as a result of the pandemic and a further cut in income would be a savage blow.

      Frustration with the Government over its refusal to sanction a re-opening of turnstiles has grown in recent weeks.
      And now the clubs are set to decide to take things into their own hands by agreeing a new, short-term, broadcast model.
      A meeting of the 20 “shareholder” clubs to discuss the proposed solution will be held this morning.
      SunSport can reveal the idea, backed by the Big Six and which is understood to have been accepted by the necessary 14 club majority of clubs.

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      Footie fans could be locked out of grounds for the rest of the season – and have to watch games on TV, via an appCredit: Reuters

      Last week, Prem chiefs announced that five matches in each of the three remaining October fixture weekends would be moved for TV purposes, screened on Sky and BT.
      But that left the other five games still nominally due to be played in the traditional Saturday 3pm slot.
      While some clubs wanted to use their own in-house websites and TV channels to make the matches available to season ticket holders only, other clubs felt that this would be seen as divisive.
      Instead, the likely compromise being discussed around the virtual table will see all fans wanting to watch being able to pay to access the games – as if they were paying at the gate.
      It is not yet entirely clear how the new system will work and Prem sources dismissed the belief of some clubs that a special app was being created to provide the service.
      But more details and clarity are due to emerge after today’s meeting.
      There is the expectation that a detailed fixture schedule and explanations of how to watch the games that are not on BT or Sky will then be available by the start of next week.

      Ally McCoist can’t believe that Premier League clubs won’t financially help EFL clubs More

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      Premier League’s football bailout won’t go ahead until transfer window shuts

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      THE Premier League’s football bailout is on ice until after the domestic transfer window shuts.
      Government sources are confident a deal will be done between the top-flight clubs and the 72 English Football League teams to stop dozens going bust due to Covid.

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      Prem clubs spent £1billon on transfers this summer, with Arsenal paying £45million for Atletico Madrid’s Thomas ParteyCredit: PA:Press Association

      But it will have to wait until after October 16, with the Premier League refusing to agree terms on the £200million arrangement until they know their final budget.
      A source said: “Until we pass the transfer window, it’s difficult to make the judgment. You can’t do a deal until then.”
      Prem clubs spent £1billon on transfers this summer, with Arsenal paying £45million for Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey.
      Chancellor Rishi Sunak, a Southampton fan, told The Sun earlier this week that he was “confident” the Premier League will agree a deal with the EFL.

      “You don’t have to tell me – I know how important football is to the local community.
      “It’s the same way that we stepped in to preserve our cultural institutions earlier in this crisis, whether it’s that local theatre in a community is important.

      “And as a Conservative, those things matter to me. I care about the coherence and vitality of our communities and local sports clubs are an enormous part of that.
      “It was an enormous part of my life growing up, and I know what it does for a place when your football team does well or staves off relegation, which was more of a case when I was growing up.

      “That’s vital and we can’t lose that. So rest assured it is something that we are very committed to.”

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      Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney fought off coronavirus two months before being forced to self-isolate again

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      KIERAN TIERNEY came through a Covid-19 scare two months ago after a positive test.
      The £25million Arsenal star was asymptomatic and came through the required 10-day self isolation period without further issues to start the new season.

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      Arsenal star Kieran Tierney has already beaten coronavirus two months agoCredit: PA:Press Association

      Now Tierney is at the heart of a determined fight by the Gunners to be available for their Premier League game against Man City at the Etihad on October 17.
      Boss Mikael Arteta – who himself tested positive last March – was left furious after Wednesday’s shock SFA announcement Tierney was having to isolate for 14 days due to him and Celtic’s Ryan Christie being regarded as ‘close contacts’ of Stuart Armstrong who tested positive while all three were together at the Scotland camp in Edinburgh.
      That left the defender facing up to missing the City match plus almost certainly the opening Europa League group tie against Rapid Vienna in Austria on the 22nd.

      Yet, Tierney had produced THREE negative tests in the week leading up to the stunning news all three players were out of the crunch Euro play-off against win over Israel.

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      Celtic’s Ryan Christie has also been made to self-isolateCredit: Willie Vass – The Sun
      The Gunners are now determinedly lobbying both the Scottish and UK governments to get the 23-year-old’s isolation period lifted, believing he has also developed the necessary antibodies.
      Celtic have also demanded a full-scale government probe after Ryan Christie was ordered to self-isolate.

      It’s understood they were sent home after being involved in PlayStation games with Armstrong — but the pair say they were using different consoles and obeying social-distancing rules.

      They’ll now miss crucial club games — with Christie out of next week’s Old Firm derby — after being told by health chiefs to quarantine for 14 days.
      But the players have insisted they have not broken rules and their furious clubs want answers over why they’ve been targeted.

      Kieran Tierney trains with Arsenal squad members More

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      Arsenal chiefs told Kieran Tierney will not get special treatment by Scottish health chief in coronavirus row

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      FURIOUS Arsenal chiefs have been warned Kieran Tierney will NOT get special treatment after being ordered to self-isolate for 14 days.
      The Gunners left-back, 23, must quarantine in Scotland in the wake of international team-mate Stuart Armstrong testing positive for coronavirus.

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      Kieran Tierney is having to self-isolate after being caught in a Scottish national team Covid-19 caseCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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      Jason Leitch, who serves as National Clinical Director of the Scottish Government, is refusing to step in for the Arsenal manCredit: Andrew Barr – The Sun Glasgow

      Emirates bosses demanded a Government probe and wanted their £25million full-back whisked back to London in a private car after he tested negative.
      But Scotland health boss Jason Leitch insists the correct protocols have been observed and Tierney MUST serve his 14 days as footballers are not treated any differently to the general public.
      He told Radio Clyde: “I cannot intervene. That’s exactly how the process should work.

      “The health protection team treats footballers the way it treats workers in call centres or you or me.
      “We phone up the positive case, we ask the positive case their history, where they’ve been for two days prior to their symptoms beginning.
      “That’s sometimes very straightforward — but sometimes, particularly in football, more complex.”
      Tierney and Celtic star Ryan Christie were told to quarantine as ‘close contacts’ of Southampton midfielder Armstrong after they all played video games in a hotel room.

      Tierney insists he has followed social-distancing rules.

      But he will also miss Arsenal’s crunch Premier League trip to Manchester City on October 17.
      Furious Arsenal argue Tierney passed three tests in the last week.
      They also say he has been in a secure bubble at the club and previous tests show Tierney possesses antibodies which suggest he has already recovered from Covid-19.

      Arsenal fans fume as FIFA 21 ratings are revealed with Kieran Tierney just 78 same as flop Sead Kolasinac More

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      Two Ireland players ruled out of Slovakia clash THIRTY mins before kick-off after staff member’s positive Covid-19 test

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      IRELAND duo Aaron Connolly and Adam Idah missed the Euro 2020 play-off loss Slovakia after a staff member tested positive for Covid-19.
      Just over half an hour before Thursday’s kick-off, the FAI revealed that a second member of their backroom staff has contracted the deadly bug.

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      Brighton striker Aaron Connolly is yet to score for Ireland in his four appearancesCredit: Sportsfile – Subscription

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      Norwich forward Adam Idah has two international caps to his nameCredit: PA:Press Association

      A statement read: “The Football Association of Ireland can confirm that a second member of the Senior Men’s international team backroom staff has tested positive for coronavirus ahead of tonight’s UEFA EURO 2020 Play-Off Semi-Final against Slovakia.
      “The FAI employee had tested negative in Dublin on Tuesday morning but a positive result came from a test in Bratislava on Wednesday. He is asymptomatic and is feeling well.
      “COVID-19 protocols have been executed and both UEFA and the HSE have been informed of this development.
      “UEFA have also confirmed that the fixture against Slovakia tonight is not affected by this development.

      “The Ireland squad and staff will be tested, as per UEFA protocols, in Dublin on Friday.
      “The FAI will not make any further comment ahead of tonight’s UEFA EURO 2020 Play-Off Semi-Final against Slovakia.”
      And according to Irish Independent journalist Daniel McDonnell, both Connolly and Idah were in close contact with the individual.
      As a result, the two players were not allowed to feature against Slovakia and did not travel with the squad to the match venue.

      Ireland’s hopes of reaching next summer’s tournament were extinguished on penalties after a 0-0 draw in Bratislava.

      He tweeted: “FAI have just confirmed that a second backroom member has tested positive for Covid.
      “My understanding is that Connolly and Idah were deemed as close contacts of this individual but the FAI have not mentioned this in the statement.”
      Earlier on Thursday, the U19 clash between England and Scotland was abandoned at half-time after coach Billy Stark tested positive for coronavirus.

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      England Under-19s clash with Scotland abandoned at HALF-TIME after positive coronavirus test result

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      ENGLAND U19s’ friendly clash against Scotland has been abandoned at HALF-TIME following a positive Covid-19 test during the match.
      The Young Lions went into the break at St George’s Park leading 3-1, only to be told that the fixture has been called off.

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      England U19s’ clash against Scotland at St George’s Park had to be abandonedCredit: Rex Features

      Players were told that Scotland coach Billy Stark had received a positive test, leading the referee to call a halt to the proceedings.
      Once the game was scrapped, both sets of players and staff were not allowed to enter any buildings on site.
      Both teams were kept in their own bubble prior to the clash, with the dressing rooms to now be deep cleaned as a result of the positive test.
      Those who were in close contact with the backroom staff may now have to self-isolate as a precautionary matter.

      An FA spokesperson said: “England U19’s match with Scotland at St. George’s Park this afternoon was abandoned in the first half as a precaution in line with COVID protocol.
      “We are not in a position to comment further at this time.”
      Meanwhile a statement on the Scottish FA’s website read: “We can confirm Scotland U19s match against England at St. George’s Park this afternoon was abandoned in the first half as a precaution in line with COVID-19 protocol.
      “We are not in a position to comment further at this time.”

      The England squad included the likes of Liverpool starlet Harvey Elliott, Manchester United defender Teden Mengi and Wolves youngster Luke Matheson.
      Meanwhile the Scotland side boasted the likes of Hibernian ace Josh Doig, Hamilton’s Jamie Hamilton and Rangers’ Kai Kennedy.
      SunSport understands that England’s U17s clash with Scotland, due to be held on Saturday at St George’s, is now in doubt.
      Scotland’s senior side are dealing with their own coronavirus problem after Stuart Armstrong tested positive for Covid-19.
      As a result, Kieran Tierney and Ryan Christie are having to self-isolate after coming in close contact with him.

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