Newcastle United’s entire squad in self-isolation after COVID outbreak

Newcastle United FC

Newcastle United have requested their entire squad to go into self-isolation after a breakout in COVID-19 cases within the club.

The club has recorded at least five positive coronavirus cases in their training camp, leading to the cancellation of Monday training. With players now asked to self-isolate and Tuesdays’ training likely to be postponed, Newcastle Premier League match with Aston Villa is now in doubt.

The Magpies have closed their Benton headquarters following the COVID-19 breakout on Monday, leaving them with just two days to prepare for their trip to Aston Villa.

The club will now carry out further tests to ascertain the number of infected persons. And if the results return with more positive result as expected, the game could likely be postponed. Newcastle could request a postponement from the Premier League if they have less than 14 senior players available for the game.

According to an exclusive by Sportsmail, the virus spread in the camp after a player returning from international commitment infiltrated the club’s bubble before and during last Friday’s trip to Crystal Palace. 

Players have been warned by the club not to talk about those who have contracted the virus as they try to manage the situation. The club is yet to comment on the scale of the current outbreak, but are expected to do so in the coming days if the results return with more outbreaks.

Several clubs have had cases of players testing for COVID-19 since the season began, but this will be the first time such outbreak is recorded with all the previous cases occurring in isolation. The Geordies are currently sitting in 13th place in the league table after playing 10 games.