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Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta He fears that the increase in Premier League players contracting coronavirus is a sign that the next season could be damaged by the pandemic.
Several high-level players have tested positive for Covid-19 since returning from vacation ahead of the opening matches of the Premier League campaign on September 12.
Manchester United star Paul Pogba and Tottenham midfielder Tanguy Ndombele were left out of France’s squad after positive tests this week.
Arteta was the first Premier League figure to contract the virus in March, just days before the 2019-20 period was halted until June.
The Spaniard made a full recovery and led Arsenal to victory in the FA Cup final against Chelsea.
But, speaking ahead of Saturday’s Community Shield clash with Liverpool, Arteta warned that the season could be put at risk if cases continue to rise.
He believes that clubs will have to plan for losing players to the virus in the coming months.
When asked if the increase in positive results was a sign that the season is on a razor’s edge, the 38-year-old said: “Yes, and I think that, sadly, we are going to have many more cases in the future.
“You’re just planning to do something and then that player tests positive, and that positive was a false positive.
“We are trying to get used to it, avoid it and try to handle the situation as best we can.
“There is not much we can do and we know that there are some uncertainties that we cannot control at this time.”
It is understood that the Premier League does not expect there to be a need to delay the start of the 2020-21 season.
If clubs feel there is a problem with a match compliance due to a virus outbreak, protocol is that they should approach the league’s board of directors regarding a possible postponement, and issues will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
The number of positive cases when the season resumed in June was minimal given that the players had been training and operating within a bubble.
That’s different this time around, as the players traveled abroad on vacation in the offseason before reporting for preseason duties, in the hope that now the teams will meet again, the number of cases will again decline.
