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      Gareth Southgate to let players see their WAGS for World Cup downtime if Covid permits

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      ENGLAND boss Gareth Southgate wants players to see their partners for World Cup downtime but Covid may intervene.Southgate, 52, said: “We would like it to happen, we think it is a significant part of a team feeling relaxed and comfortable.
      England boss Gareth Southgate wants players to see their partners, such as Jack Grealish’s girlfriend Sasha Attwood, during downtime at the World CupCredit: Instagram
      Model Sasha Attwood, girlfriend of Man City’s Grealish, is among those expected to fly out for the tournamentCredit: Instagram
      Southgate said he thought it would make the team ‘relaxed and comfortable’Credit: PA
      “But at the moment none of us know what the transmission rate is likely to be out there.”
      On Friday, there were 307 new Covid cases in Qatar.
      Southgate added: “We need to monitor it quite closely.”
      Some of the players’ wives and girlfriends will be on the £1billion cruise ship MSC World Europa. 
      READ MORE ON THE WORLD CUP
      Model Sasha Attwood, 26, girlfriend of Man City ace Jack Grealish, 27, is among those expected to fly out for the tournament, starting next Sunday.
      Southgate also revealed he has some special motivational plans up his sleeve – but was keeping it a secret for now.
      Actor Michael Sheen delivered a rousing pre-World Cup speech to the Welsh team, who will face England in the group stages.
      It was light-heartedly put to Southgate that perhaps he would bring in Brian Blessed to do likewise.
      Most read in The Sun
      Yet the England chief was giving nothing away, and joked: “Maybe we can go one better than Wales.”
      When Southgate was pressed to reveal details, he added: “No, we can’t. But we want them to do all the things that going to a World Cup involves the suits, the photos.
      “But thankfully there’s been no record, or song! We just want them to be excited about going.”
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      World Cup will be a superspreader event – I know the best way you can protect yourself from a flu outbreak

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      YES, I know, I know. It’s happening at the wrong time of year in the wrong kind of place and we’ll doubtless end up with the wrong result.But once it gets going, all that will be forgotten.
      Social distancing will be long forgotten as bars pack out for the World CupCredit: Reuters
      We’ll be watching and we’ll want to be watching it together.
      Because — despite Fifa’s best efforts to mess things up — this is what football does and it’s what the World Cup does in spades.
      And the great nation coming together is one aspect of this World Cup which could be really special, precisely because the timing is all wrong.
      The atmosphere, as we crowd into pubs and so on to watch the games, is going to be something else.
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      It’s always great during the usual summer tournaments but, crammed indoors with winter raging outside, it’s going to be so much more intense.
      While frosty winds will blow their worst outside, inside we’ll be heating ourselves up to fever pitch watching the football together.
      This will be the 28th international football tournament in my lifetime.
      The other 27 I’ve watched over long summer days and evenings. And I’ve loved them.
      Most read in The Sun
      DELIGHTING AND DESPAIRING
      Now I’m really looking forward to being part, for once, of some wintry World Cup fervour.
      But, but, but. As ever in football, there is a big but.
      If we can catch football fever from each other jammed in pubs delighting and despairing at the drama, there will be other bugs we can pick up from each other too.
      When Covid came along we had to learn a whole new way of living and new vocabulary to go with it.
      There was that thing called social distancing, and the notion of certain environments being great vectors for infection, and certain occasions becoming known as superspreader events.
      I don’t think you need to be very highly qualified in epidemiology to work out that hundreds of football fans, in a confined space, shouting, chanting, jumping around, kissing and crying, will facilitate the passing of germs.
      They’ll be getting sprayed around the place like nobody’s business.
      But, whatever, the craic will be so great that a few coughs and colds will be a price worth paying.
      Some catarrh thanks to Qatar? So what?
      Except, if we’re not careful, it could be about a whole lot more than an outbreak of winter sniffles.
      Covid is always threatening to send a new wave to break over us, quite possibly in the form of worrying new variants.
      And then there’s that annual killer, winter flu.
      Something we don’t worry about enough, which is daft, because it’s not rare and it’s well worth not getting because it’s extremely unpleasant and could even finish you off.
      If only there was something we could do to keep us safe from all this, freeing us up to whip up our football passions and hug and kiss strangers without fear of spreading anything other than joy or despair.
      If only the NHS that we applauded so loudly could somehow help us out.
      If only more of us realised that, of course, the NHS not only can vaccinate us but is desperate to do so.
      Yes, join The Sun’s campaign and get jabbed for Covid and jabbed for the flu. Do The Double.
      If you haven’t done that, then ask yourself why not, especially if you’re planning to spend large parts of the next month in confined spaces with others like you, shouting at TV screens.
      I’m sorry, but if you stood and applauded the NHS but now don’t help them out by doing the double, this winter of all winters, then you’re possibly a bit of a hypocrite.
      It really isn’t hard. It can’t be that hard. Because I’ve done it.
      First I got the flu one done, then the Covid booster a week later.
      The only challenging thing was explaining to jabber number two why I still had the plaster on covering jabber number one’s work a full week earlier.
      I assured him I did wash regularly, just not very thoroughly.
      GLORIOUS WORLD CUP
      As one of Britain’s leading hypochondriacs and a serial sufferer of terrible man-colds, I’m happy to report that the side-effects amounted to not very much at all.
      I felt a little bit rough after the Covid jab but it can’t have been so bad because that very afternoon I went to see West Brom at QPR.
      And we won, which restored me to rude health anyway.
      So come on, let’s do this. Let’s get right behind England and Wales in what yet could be a glorious World Cup for us.
      Read More on The Sun
      Let’s Do The Double, then get ourselves down the pub, shut out the bleak mid-winter and enjoy the ride.
      Or, to put it another way, Do The Double so if and when the football does end in tears, you don’t have flu or Covid adding to your misery.
      Do the double and get jabbed for Covid and the winter flu More

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      England fans handed boost as Covid restrictions are eased ahead of 2022 World Cup in Qatar

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      ENGLAND fans travelling to Qatar for the World Cup will no longer have to do a Covid test to enter the country.Visitors previously needed negative results on a PCR or rapid antigen test as well as being able to provide the correct health documentations to be allowed in.
      Qatar have scrapped Covid restrictions ahead of the World CupCredit: PA
      But with the World Cup on the horizon Qatar have relaxed measures in relation to Covid and none of this is now necessary.
      This hands all fans, players and staff travelling to the competition a major boost.
      The change in restrictions comes into force from today – just 19 days before the tournament begins.
      An estimated 1.5million fans are predicted to be visiting Qatar in November and December.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      Ten thousand England fans and a further 5,000 Welsh supporters are making the journey, according to reports.
      Qatar was previously strict on who could enter the country amid the pandemic.
      Tourists did have to pre-register on the government’s Ehteraz health application before touching down in Doha.
      They had to also submit documents to get their stats on the app to turn green.
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      But now nobody even has to present a Covid vaccination certificate giving those travelling to the World Cup one less thing to worry about.
      England fans could still face a tough time in Qatar with alcohol only being served in certain areas, while those going who are part of the LGBTQ community were given a shocking warning from the UK government.
      Fans have also been warned to stay clear of camels over killer bug fears.
      If the Three Lions make the final then it could cost each person at least £5,000 per person to follow Gareth Southgate’s men all the way. More

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      World Cup fans warned to steer clear of camels in Qatar over killer bug fears

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      FOOTIE fans banned from drinking, kissing, betting and vaping at the World Cup have now been told to steer clear of camels. There are fears thousands flocking to Qatar could be struck down by a killer bug which is deadlier than Covid.
      Camel flu, or MERS-CoV, is thought to have spread from bats to the desert dromedaries in neighbouring Saudi Arabia and can be transmitted to humans.Credit: Louis Wood
      Harry Kane will be leading the Three Lions out in the World Cup in NovemberCredit: Getty
      There are fears that thousands of fans flocking to Qatar could be struck down by the killer bugCredit: Louis Wood
      Camel flu, or MERS-CoV, is thought to have spread from bats to the desert dromedaries in neighbouring Saudi Arabia and can be transmitted to humans.
      Unlike Covid-19 there is no vaccine or treatment and fans following England and Wales have been warned to heed UK government advice.
      The Sun spotted a herd of camels near the England team’s Souq Al Wakra Hotel base outside Qatar’s capital Doha last week.
      READ MORE ON QATAR 22
      And just weeks ago our man Oliver Harvey took a trip on one of the ships of the desert to show what fans could enjoy between games.
      Yesterday, tourist companies were still advertising camel rides and safari trips.
      Fans heading to the strict Muslim nation will have to abide by bans on provocative clothing, kissing, hugging or drinking in public, men speaking to women they do not know and rude gestures.
      Homosexuals face jail and luggage will be screened for drugs, booze and porn.
      Most read in Football
      Prof Paul Hunter, of the University of East Anglia, said: “Fans should steer clear of camels in Qatar.
      “That’s the common sense advice to reduce the risk of contracting the virus.
      “It’s a nasty bug, much deadlier than Covid-19 with a very high mortality rate, and there is currently no effective vaccine.”
      Government guidance says human-to-human spread has been limited inside hospitals and care homes but suggests camel contact is risky.
      World Health Organisation chiefs warned in August that about 80 per cent of cases were as a result of contact with infected camels or infected people in hospital.
      The bug, full name Middle East respiratory syndrome, has infected more than 2,000 people and killed at least 850 since it was first identified in Saudi in 2012.
      Experts fear it could soon spread from the Arabian peninsula to Africa through infected camels, which only exhibit mild symptoms.
      Two cases have been reported this year in Qatar, including a camel owner, 85, who later died in Doha.
      A farmer, 50, who drank camel milk has also died.
      Read More on The Sun
      Qatar officials declined to comment and the FA did not respond to requests.
      Meanwhile, Covid controls including tests and proof of vaccination have been lifted.
      Thousands of England fans will travel to Qatar next month
      The Sun has previously reported on the perils of drinking alcohol in the strict Muslim nationCredit: Louis Wood
      The Sun’s chief feature writer Oliver Harvey has previously written about what fans will be able to expect if they travel to Qatar – where homosexuals are jailed and luggage will be screened for drugs, booze and pornCredit: Louis Wood More

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      Benjamin Mendy’s trial adjourned until next week after juror tests positive for Covid

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      BENJAMIN Mendy’s trial has been adjourned until next week after a juror tested positive for Covid. The Manchester City footballer and his ‘fixer’ Louis Saha Matturie are charged with offences against multiple women between October 2018 and August last year.
      Benjamin Mendy’s trial has been adjourned until at least next weekCredit: PA
      Judge Steven Everett told Chester Crown Court the trial would now be halted until next Tuesday at the earliest.
      He told the remaining jurors they should avoid meeting other people for five days under current NHS guidance, during a brief hearing on Wednesday morning.
      The trial can then resume if the juror is no longer testing positive for the virus and feeling well enough to attend court.
      Judge Everett told the jury: “We are all hopeful we will carry on, on Tuesday.
      Read More Football
      “That’s what happens in a long trial, these things happen.”
      The trial, now in its 10th week, has heard that Premier League player and French international Mendy, 28, is a “predator” who “turned the pursuit of women for sex into a game”.
      Matturie, 41, is alleged to have had the job of finding young women for sex.
      Mendy denies seven counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault against six young women.
      Most read in Football
      Matturie, of Eccles, Salford, denies six counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault relating to seven young women.
      Both men say if any sex took place with women or girls it was consensual.
      Read More on The Sun
      Louis Saha Matturie denies six counts of rapeCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia More

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      France World Cup winner Benjamin Pavard bravely opens up on battle with depression during lockdown

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      BAYERN MUNICH and France star Benjamin Pavard has bravely opened up on his battle with depression.The 26-year-old first began to struggle mentally during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic.
      Benjamin Pavard has bravely opened up on his struggles with depressionCredit: Getty
      Pavard lifted the World Cup with France in 2018Credit: Getty – Contributor
      At the time Pavard was still in his first season at Bayern, and being stuck on his own away from his home country saw him became “not well”.
      The Bundesliga was first halted in late February due to the pandemic, and did not return until May.
      And the 2018 World Cup winner, who won goal of the tournament for his famous strike against Argentina, has detailed his struggles in an interview with French newspaper Le Parisien.
      Pavard revealed that he knew something had to be done when he headed to training without a smile on his face.
      READ MORE WORLD CUP NEWS
      He said: “It was difficult for everyone, for me too. To be alone, in a country other than mine, I was really not well. In my head, something was wrong.
      “At the beginning, you tell yourself that it’s nothing, that it will pass, but when you see that it persists, that you go to training and that you don’t have a smile on your face, you have to react.”
      Pavard admitted that maintaining contact with family and friends was crucial during the lonely periods of lockdown.
      He added: “I am human like everyone else, and even if I have a super nice house with a weight room, I needed contact with others.
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      If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.
      “I got up, I had no appetite. I tried to keep busy, to cook, to watch series. But Netflix is ​​fine for two minutes… I don’t like the word depressive, but that was the case.”
      Fortunately Pavard’s mental struggles have improved as the world has grown used to living with Covid.
      He concluded: “I came out of all this as a man, it changed me. I was on my own like many football players and I had to surround myself well to raise my head.
      “I managed to bounce back from difficult times.”
      Read More on The Sun
      On the pitch the right-back has continued to be an important player for club and country, despite his mental struggles.
      And he will be hoping to help France to more World Cup glory when the tournament kicks off in Qatar later this year.
      Contact the Samaritans
      If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, contact The Samaritans on 116 123. They are available for free at anytime.
      Or email https://www.samaritans.org/

      Pavard joined Bayern Munich from Stuttgart in 2019Credit: Getty More

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      ‘I had to sack 55 staff, only to find out I was the 56th’ – Raul Sanllehi opens up on Arsenal exit after pandemic hell

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      FORMER Arsenal chief Raul Sanllehi has opened up on his struggles working at Arsenal during the coronavirus pandemic.The former head of football, 56, also admitted that he doesn’t hold it against owners – The Kroenkes.
      Sanllehi was Arsenal’s head of football until 2020 before the pandemic took holdCredit: Getty – Contributor
      The pandemic saw Sanllehi lay off 55 members of staff at Arsenal, before being axed himself.
      Sanllehi, who is now director at Spanish second division side Real Zaragoza, told The Athletic about how “everything fell apart” for him in London.
      He said: “I loved it at Arsenal. You cannot imagine — the people in the club, the history of the club.
      “I really felt I was at the top of the world there. I love the owners, the Kroenkes. But the last 10 months there were horrible. I had to lay off 55 people, without knowing I was the 56th.”
      READ MORE ON ARSENAL
      “I don’t feel betrayed by the Kroenkes.
      “The Kroenkes had the LA Rams, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Rapids, and all of a sudden, all those teams could not play [due to lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic].
      “You still had to pay the salaries. You did not have guaranteed broadcasting revenues.
      “They entered into panic, but a logical panic, as the world entered into panic. Without Covid, I am sure I would still be there, as my relationship with the Kroenkes was great.
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      “It is funny now, but I remember in December 2019, I had dinner with the four guys: Mikel Arteta, Edu, Huss Fahmy and Per Mertesacker.
      “On the toast, I said, ‘Now, it is on us. Now it is exactly the model I asked for. If it does not work, we have no excuses’.
      “That team for me was a dream team at that time. Then in March, everything just fell apart. It was sad.”
      Sanllehi even claimed he would have NEVER have made Arteta manager of the Gunners.
      The Spaniard reckons the appointment “betrayed the model” in place at the Emirates, and Arteta should have stayed on as head coach.
      After joining in December 2019, Arteta’s role changed from head coach to first-team manager the following September, shortly after Sanllehi left the club.
      He added: “I do not agree when clubs call the first-team coach the manager.
      “First-team coach is first-team coach, that is enough. Nowadays, the workload is overwhelming, and I need him to concentrate on the first team.
      “Anything that distracts you from that is not your responsibility — travel arrangements, the pitch, salary budget, medical department.
      “We will get other people to do that. The first-team coach is short-term oriented — just win tonight’s game.
      Read More on The Sun
      “They have betrayed the model a little bit now. By going back to the manager at the top, that is a mistake, but that is their mistake.
      “I would have not allowed that to happen. But that’s fine, it is working so far for them.”  More

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      Harry Redknapp reveals how he feared for wife Sandra after serious bout of Covid left her barely able to breathe

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      HARRY Redknapp has revealed how he feared for his wife Sandra after a serious attack of Covid left her barely able to breathe.The ex-football manager says Sandra could not talk and had to communicate with people by writing notes as well as having a problem swallowing which he feared could lead to her choking.
      Harry Redknapp has revealed how he feared for his wife Sandra after a serious attack of Covid left her barely able to breatheCredit: The Sun
      Former I’m A Celeb winner, Harry, 75, said: “The symptoms weren’t good, if I’m truthful.
      “You start to think about all kinds of sinister things. It’s been a real worry.
      “Sandra has suffered. Her voice had packed up and she was struggling for breath.
      “Even swallowing food became difficult. She could choke on food easily if we weren’t careful.”
      READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS
      The virus attacked pre-existing problems with Sandra’s vocal cords.
      Thankfully, she is on the mend – and national treasure Harry is fighting fit too.
      Former hairdresser Sandra was laid low with Covid in January after a New Year’s Eve visit to a restaurant.
      She said: “I think Covid attacked previous surgery that I’d had on my neck.
      “You don’t realise what your vocal cords do until they’re not working, because it affects breathing as well as talking.
      Most read in The Sun
      “The shortness of breath was very difficult. My voice would vibrate and was very weak.”
      Sandra added she struggled for around seven months as the couple attempted to work on a new book, When Harry Met Sandra, which will be released this week. More