Newcastle United’s first-team has been suffering from a Coronavirus outbreak in the last few weeks.
Although most of the Magpies have made a full recovery, Steve Bruce confirmed four of his players are still sidelined due to Covid-19. Newcastle’s Premier League run has been seriously affected by the virus.
After being forced to postpone their clash against Aston Villa, Steve Bruce’s squad was still at half-speed when they faced Leeds United this week. Therefore, the team suffered a terrible 5-2 loss at Elland Road. However, Newcastle’s manager didn’t want to use Covid-19 as an excuse for their disappointing display.
Nonetheless, the Magpies will have a new opportunity to prove the virus won’t affect them on the pitch again as they face Fulham at St. James’ Park this weekend. Off the pitch, however, it is clear that Newcastle is still far from leaving the outbreak behind.
At his pre-match press conference, Steve Bruce showed his concern for two of his players whose condition has failed to improve. Although he had voiced his distress before, this time the manager gave some terrifying details about their status.
“We’ve had the full set,” he said. “We’ve had vomiting, sores, mouth ulcers, no smell, no taste. The fatigue element is a big problem. For the vast majority who had it, fatigue is the one thing the virus leaves. They go for a walk for half an hour and then want to go back to bed. It’s as brutal as that. It’s been a really difficult couple of weeks.”
Steve Bruce and his team were shocked to see the lasting effects the virus left on the players who tested positive. For the manager, it was a wake-up call.
“It’s frightening when you think they’re young, fit and supreme athletes,” he said. “If anybody needs reminding of how serious this is, then we have witnessed it.”
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