LONDON: Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard (pix) said fear of Covid-19 is so heightened that one of his players was reluctant to get out of his car.
An outbreak at Villa saw their match against Burnley last Saturday postponed at short notice, with Gerrard warning on Wednesday that it will be a "nightmare" if the Midlands club have to tackle two matches in two days with just 14 players available.
"We had a situation at the weekend where one of the players was reluctant to get out of his car because he had some symptoms and he's got a young family, and you can totally understand his view in his situation," Gerrard said.
"This is a guy who's got a young family, it is Christmas time, and that's the situation everyone is in."
The former Liverpool and England midfielder added: "No-one wants to get this virus. Everyone wants to protect their own families. This is our job and your priority is always going to be your family, of course it is.
"Thankfully he was tested after and he didn't have a situation, but that player would not have been available for me on the day, and these are the little situations that people don't see.
"We've got a major responsibility to listen to the players and deal with every situation as it comes your way."
The Premier League announced on Monday its intention to continue with scheduled matches over the traditionally busy Christmas and New Year period, despite more than 90 confirmed coronavirus cases among players and staff in the last week.
Last weekend, six of 10 scheduled games in England's Premier League were called because of coronavirus outbreaks.
The Premier League is due to hold 'virtual' meetings with managers and captains on Thursday to hear their concerns but Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson said officials needed to pay more attention to the welfare of players.
The 31-year-old England midfielder said: "I am concerned that nobody really takes player welfare seriously." – AFP
