Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Football London
Football London
Sport
Tashan Deniran-Alleyne

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta hit by coronavirus to put Brighton and Sheffield United games at risk

Arsenal have confirmed that head coach Mikel Arteta has received a positive COVID-19 result.

As a result, the club's training base at London Colney has been closed and the Spaniard will now be in self isolation.

In addition, those who have been in close contact with the head coach will also have to self-isolate to prevent the risk of the coronavirus spreading elsewhere.

How might Coronavirus impact the football season?

A statement via the club's official website reads: "Our London Colney training centre has been closed after head coach Mikel Arteta received a positive COVID-19 result this evening.

"Arsenal personnel who had recent close contact with Mikel will now self-isolate in line with Government health guidelines.

"We expect this to be a significant number of people from Colney, including the full first-team squad and coaching staff, as well as a smaller number of people from our Hale End Academy which we have also temporarily closed as a precaution. 
 
"We expect those who did not have close contact with Mikel to return to work in the coming days.

"In the meantime our Colney and Hale End training centres will undergo a deep clean and our other club sites are operating as normal."


 
Managing director Vinai Venkatesham said: "The health of our people and the wider public is our priority and that is where our focus is. Our thoughts are with Mikel who is disappointed but in good spirits.

"We are in active dialogue with all the relevant people to manage this situation appropriately, and we look forward to getting back to training and playing as soon as medical advice allows."
 
Head of football Raul Sanllehi added: "Mikel and the full first-team squad, players and staff, will be fully supported, and we look forward to getting back to training and playing as soon as medical advice allows.

"Obviously Mikel’s full recovery is the priority now for us all."

The Arsenal statement continues: "We will work with Public Health England on the next steps in regard to our facilities and staff, and with the Premier League, Football Association and relevant clubs around our forthcoming matches in the Premier League and Emirates FA Cup.  

"It is clear we will not be able to play some fixtures on their currently scheduled dates. We will update supporters who have tickets for forthcoming games with more information as soon as possible.
 
"We are now working to trace any other people who have had recent close contact with Mikel.  We will let them know what has happened and they should follow the NHS guidance which is likely to recommend self-isolation.
 
Arteta has also commented: "This is really disappointing but I took the test after feeling poorly. I will be at work as soon as I’m allowed."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.