8 Spurs players test positive for Covid
Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte said yesterday that eight players and five club employees had tested positive for Covid-19 and he expected more confirmed cases.
Spurs are due to play a crucial Europa Conference League game against Rennes tomorrow morning (Singapore time) and Uefa has said the match is due to take place as scheduled.
It remains unclear whether the club will ask for their English Premier League match at Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday to be postponed.
"Eight players and five members of staff," Conte said at a virtual press conference.
"Every day we are having people with Covid, people who were not positive yesterday. This is not a good situation."
Conte was supposed to be joined by midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg at the pre-match press conference, but instead faced the media on his own.
"To speak about football today is impossible," said the Italian, who became Spurs boss last month. "The last situation made me very upset.
"The situation is serious. There is a big infection. We prepare for the game against Rennes, but it is very difficult.
"Again at the end of the session, one player (tested) positive, another staff (member) positive - tomorrow, who (will it be)? Now, for sure, we are a bit scared because tomorrow we don't know what happens."
The coronavirus pandemic largely forced football behind closed doors last season, but full crowds have returned to English football during the current campaign, even though Covid-19 infection levels remain high.
The EPL on Monday reported 12 new positive coronavirus cases out of 3,154 tests among players and club staff. It was the highest figure since late August.
An emotional Conte admitted the situation was "so strange and incredible".
He added: "This for sure makes me upset because I am here to talk about football, about my players and the atmosphere that I want to see tomorrow. Instead we are talking about the people that have Covid."
Referring to vaccination take-up within his squad, Conte, who confirmed that he has been vaccinated, said: "I think everyone takes (their own) best decision and is a question for the medical department about people whether they are vaccinated or not."
Rennes are already through to the last 16 of the Conference League as group winners while Tottenham lead Vitesse on goal difference in the battle for second place. - AFP
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