Covid concerns after positive test as players attempt to return

Hours after a furious Chris Wilder complained about being forced to go ahead with Middlesbrough’s televised trip to Sheffield United despite 19 players and staff testing positive for the virus, it went the same way as Harrogate Town’s League Two match against Port Vale and was postponed. But Bradford City have their first match since December 11, Leeds United and Hull City their first since the 18th.

Whilst players have returned to training after negative PCR tests, it is not certain they are ready to play. Some recover much more quickly than others from the respiratory disease, and clubs have spent the last few days trying to judge which are which.

“Player welfare is a big thing,” stressed Derek Adams, whose Bradford team are at Barrow today. “We would have only had one or two days training before the game we were supposed to play on Wednesday (at Walsall) and that was impossible because we just didn’t know how the players were coming back, we didn’t have enough fully fit for the game.

“Now we’ve had a couple more days’ training and a look at them. We’re just looking at how they’re breathing, how they’re recovering from the training sessions.

“When a player comes back from a positive PCR test the club doctor has to look at their well-being to focus on how they’re recovering. Some players have had a worse experience than others. That’s why you’ve got to be very careful how you push them back into games so quickly.”

Six Hull players returned to training on Thursday, and went through Football League protocols before today’s Championship game at Blackpool.

“Day one they train at 80 per cent of heart-rate, day two they train at 90 per cent, and day three they can go full tilt,” revealed coach Grant McCann, whose Hull squad is around 90 per cent double- or triple-vaccinated. “I think that protocol’s good. Reducing the isolation (period) from ten to seven days has helped as well. Other countries have reduced it to five, I don’t know if that will come in in this country but all we can do is go by the rules.”

Gary McSheffrey, set for a first game as permanent Doncaster Rovers manager at Morecambe tomorrow, explained the issues returning players face. On-loan Manchester United midfielder Ethan Galbraith resumed training on Boxing Day, but was unfit to face Sunderland the next day.

“He managed to do some training on Sunday and he looked good on the eye, sharp and his normal self but after that he really struggled with his chest and the doctor saw him on Monday at quarter to 11 to see if he could be passed fit or not,” explained McSheffrey. “For his safety and welfare it was decided no, we’d give him a few more days. It wasn’t worth the risk in the long term.”

At least the clubs have more experience of Covid-19 now.

“That is vital,” said Adams. “I get heavily involved in understanding the protocols, what self-isolation is, how many days it is, who’s been in it, how many players have had positive PCR tests, how many have had the vaccination and the boosters. It’s good as a manager that we understand everything before speaking to the media. It’s important we have the right information going forward.”

McCann has rather more experience than he would like, having caught the virus on December 23.

There should be fewer late postponements like the one Hull experienced on Boxing Day with the Football League removing the requirement to test on the morning of matches, although a decision on Middlesbrough was only announced after 5pm yesterday.

Having seen Hull’s game against Blackburn Rovers postponed two hours before kick-off, McCann supports the change.

“It was crazy,” he said. “If you look for something, you’ll find it.

“It’s hard work for clubs because you’ve got to be tested by a medical practitioner, you can’t do it yourself. Players have to sit in their cars for 30 minutes before they can even come into the training ground. Even at the height of the first lockdown it wasn’t like this.

“Nobody wants to see fans travelling for two, two-and-a-half hours to a game for it to be called off but we followed every protocol.

“I even phoned an under-18 player to get his mum and dad to drive him here on Boxing Day. I spoke to him on Christmas Day, made his Christmas Day, only for it to be called off on Boxing Day. That’s how bad it got for us.”