Steve Bruce questions whether Premier League football can go on amid spiking Covid-19 cases

A number of clubs have been affected by coronavirus since Newcastle United’s Premier League game against Aston Villa early last month was postponed due to a Covid-19 outbreak at the training ground.

Aston Villa and Derby County will field youth teams in their FA Cup matches against Liverpool and Chorley respectively due to their squads being depleted due to positive cases despite a rigorous testing regime.

A number of players and members of staff were laid low by Covid-19 late last year – and Jamaal Lascelles and Allan Saint-Maximin are yet to make their comebacks.

Bruce was particularly worried about two members of his staff, one of whom was “nearly hospitalised”.

“We have had two players who were very, very sick – and one or two members of staff who were nearly hospitalised,” said United’s head coach, speaking ahead of tomorrow’s FA Cup tie against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

“It’s not been easy, but, yes, we’ll keep going along. Financially, it’s right, but maybe morally it’s wrong.

"All of us are suffering, and we’re the lucky ones providing an entertainment that people are tuning into to watch, but there will come a stage where we have to make a decision, we hope in the next two or three weeks, (because) we don’t want to see these outbreaks.”

Lascelles, meanwhile, this week returned to full training after recovering from Covid-19.

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