When all is said and done, the final score line this week could read Covid 19, Tottenham Hotspur 0. News leaked this week that the North London side had suffered a major covid outbreak, with up to six players having possibly tested positive.
Turns out it’s eight players and five staff members, as confirmed by Spurs manager Antonio Conte who added: “Eight players and five members of staff but the problem is that every day we’re having people with Covid, people that yesterday weren’t positive and today are and we’re continuing to have contact with. It’s a serious problem.“
Tottenham vs Rennes FYIs:
Kick-off time: 8 PM GMT, 9th December 2021
Tottenham Hotspur Team News: go here
Tottenham Starting XI Prediction: go here
Form Guide (All Competitions): Tottenham (DWLWW) Rennes (WDWLW)
It is absolutely serious and scary! And it reminds us that this pandemic is not over. While the delta variant is still circulating out there, we now have the omicron variant to deal with as well. It’s really looking like covid will be endemic, not a pandemic.
Conte continued:
“Everyone is a bit scared. People have families. Why do we have to take the risk? This is my question. Today, two positives. And tomorrow, who? Me? I don’t know. Better me than a player for sure. But I think it’s not right for everyone. We have contact with our families… The situation is serious. There’s a big infection. And now, for sure, we’re a bit scared. Because we don’t know what is going to happen.”
UK protocols state that anyone who tests positive for covid must isolate for 10 days, and now the league fixture against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday is in doubt.
That’s according to a report from the London Evening Standard, who convey that the club is in talks with the league about possible postponement.
Spurs also face Rennes tomorrow, in a do-or-die UEFA Europa Conference League tussle that would see their Euro campaign come to a close with anything but a win. UEFA protocols for COVID-19 provide that teams with at least 13 fit senior team players and at least one goalkeeper, provided they are all registered, must play the match.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.