Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been struck down by coronavirus in news that will intensify calls for the Premier League to be shut down.
The global pandemic has decimated sport, with Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announcing that from Monday no gatherings of more than 500 people will be allowed.
Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and other have shut down their domestic leagues while many clubs in Germany are playing behind closed doors.
But the Premier League declared on Thursday evening that matches would go ahead as planned this weekend.
Tonight though Arsenal , whose game with Manchester City in midweek was postponed due to COVID-19, announced that their manager has contracted the illness.
A statement said: "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."
The Gunners confirmed they're looking to trace anyone who may have been in close contact with the former Rangers and Everton midfielder.
Arteta said: "This is really disappointing but I took the test after feeling poorly. I will be at work as soon as I’m allowed."
