Watford players and staff were due to return to training at their London Colney base on Wednesday, despite three employees testing positive for coronavirus and a number of players refusing to attend.
Two members of staff and one player made up half of the Premier League’s six positive tests for Covid-19 after their first round of testing. Those who tested positive will have to self-isolate for a week and provide at least one negative test before returning to training.
Watford captain Troy Deeney has been one of the most vocal critics of the plans to return to training, and was the first to reveal he would not be joining his team-mates this week.
The striker has cited unanswered questions, increased risks to BAME players and the potential of bringing the virus back to his five-month-old son, who has had breathing problems, as reasons for his decision to continue training from home.
“It only takes one person to get infected within the group and I don’t want to be bringing that home,” he told Talk The Talk this week.
The club have said they will fully support any players who decide not to return to training and, subsequently, a number of first-team players have opted to stay away following the three positive tests.
