England defender Danny Rose says players are being treated like “lab rats” after Watford and Burnley revealed they were among the English Premier League clubs affected by six positive tests for COVID-19.
Teams have started socially distanced training in small groups this week, but several Premier League stars have expressed concerns about plans to resume the season.
The Premier League conducted 748 tests on players and staff on Sunday and Monday as part of its bid to restart matches next month.
Photo: Reuters
Burnley assistant manager Ian Woan, one unnamed Watford player and two members of the Vicarage Road staff tested positive in the first batch of tests.
While the positive test numbers were relatively low, Rose joined Watford captain Troy Deeney, and Manchester City pair Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling, in speaking out about the potential health risks of pressing ahead with “Project Restart.”
Rose, on loan at Newcastle United from Tottenham Hotspur, told the Lockdown Tactics podcast: “People are suggesting we should go back to football, like we’re guinea pigs or lab rats. We’re going to experiment this phase and see if it works or not.”
“I can just imagine people at home saying: ‘Well they earn that amount of money so they should be going back.’ For stuff like that I think: ‘Is it worth the hassle?’ I could be potentially risking my health for people’s entertainment and that’s not something I want to be involved in, if I’m honest,” he said.
Deeney has refused to start training because he does not want to put his young child, who has breathing difficulties, at risk of catching the coronavirus.
The 31-year-old had already made it clear that he fears his family could be in danger because of figures that show black, Asian and minority ethnic people are more likely to become seriously ill with the virus.
Deeney’s decision came just hours before Watford released information about the positive tests.
“Of those three positive tests, one is a player and two are members of staff. All three have asked that medical confidentiality be respected and, therefore, the club will not be naming those involved,” Watford said in a statement.
The other two positive tests were at a third club, the details of which have not been revealed.
The Premier League has been suspended since March 13, but with the Bundesliga returning to action at the weekend, it is hoped the remaining 92 English top-flight matches can be played behind closed doors.
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