Aberdeen face an anxious 24-hour wait to discover if they have any further coronavirus outbreaks inside their own training ground.
The Pittodrie club announced on Wednesday that an unnamed first team player has tested positive for Covid-19 - the first case to have hit the Scottish game since the top flight returned to training.
After receiving expert medical advice the Dons have decided to stick to their original twice weekly testing schedule which means Derek McInnes, his staff and players will not find out until tomorrow if anyone else inside Cormack Park has gone down with the disease.
A source told us last night: “It’s obviously a very sensitive situation and first and foremost the wellbeing of everyone at the club is paramount.
“The player who has tested positive is showing no symptoms and is feeling perfectly fine. But we’re told he’ll have to stay away from the training ground for somewhere between 10 and 15 days.
“The experts have advised that the best course of action is to go ahead with our next scheduled testing day on Friday morning. After that we’ll know if this is just an isolated case or if we have a more difficult situation on our hands.”
It’s understood the Pittodrie club have employed a rigorous testing regime as well as implementing strict social distancing protocols inside the training facility.
Our source added: “The club has been ultra cautious since the players went back. There have been several hundred tests carried out and only one has come back positive so we are hopeful that the safety measures that have been undertaken will have helped to stop this virus from spreading throughout the rest of the squad.”
Aberdeen officially announced yesterday morning that one of McInnes’ players had been sent home to self isolate.
The statement said: “Aberdeen FC confirms that, following the mandatory twice-weekly testing, a member of the first team squad has tested positive for COVID-19.
“No other members of the first team, coaching staff or essential staff at the training ground tested positive.
The individual, who is asymptomatic, has been self-isolating since receiving the test result and will be in regular contact with the medical staff at Cormack Park before he returns to training.
“Since training resumed, the club has strictly followed the Joint Response Group (JRG) protocols including social distancing, increased sanitisation practices, twice weekly testing, and small group training sessions. It’s therefore unlikely there will be any risk to the wider player group and the planned training schedule will not be impacted.
“The club is satisfied that the regular testing regime, provided by The Aberdeen Clinic, together with the stringent hygiene and safety measures in place are working effectively.”
