Aston Villa hit with double COVID-19 blow ahead of trip to Norwich City

Aston Villa have become the latest team to be affected by the new wave of COVID-19 cases
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Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard has revealed that the team will be without two first team players who have tested positive for coronavirus ahead of Tuesday night’s trip to Norwich City.

With cases rising fast across the country once again, football is taking the headlines as a number of clubs are being hit with outbreaks within their squads.

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Tottenham Hotspur have already had a game postponed this past weekend and Manchester United and Brighton both have midweek fixtures in doubt due to infections across their camps.

And it appears to be no different at Bodymoor Heath, with Gerrard revealing that two players and two coaching staff are no isolating after testing positive for the virus.

Steven Gerrard, Manager of Aston Villa looks on during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Aston VillaSteven Gerrard, Manager of Aston Villa looks on during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Aston Villa
Steven Gerrard, Manager of Aston Villa looks on during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Aston Villa

“We’ve got a couple of (positive) cases on the playing side and we’ve got a couple of cases on the staff side,” he said.

“Due to medical confidentiality, I’m obviously not going to reveal any names but, yeah, that’s not what we wanted.

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“We’ll have to deal with the situation and adapt. From a playing point of view, there will be an opportunity for others to come in and help us.

“We’ll try and prepare the best way that we can for tomorrow night’s game and we wish those with positive cases in the last 24 hours well.”

The manager also understandably wouldn’t go into detail about whether the players or staff members that had contracted the virus had had the vaccine or not but did state that the club itself have a ‘really high double-jabbed rate.’

“There is a really strict testing process in place and it might get stricter,” Gerrard added.

“We have got a really high double-jabbed rate at the club.

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“I’m sure that will be the case with the booster situation. I’ll be having mine in the next few days.

“From a managerial situation, we have to adapt and deal with the current situation which means sometimes you can’t name squads and teams, because during the testing process, there could be positive or negative tests.

“We have to be ready to adapt.”

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