"Constant Paranoia": Latest Covid Outbreak Leaves Premier League Managers Jittery

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard on Friday revealed his "constant paranoia" over the medical status of his players after the spiralling coronavirus crisis forced a glut of Premier League postponements.

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard on Friday revealed his "constant paranoia" over the medical status of his players after the spiralling coronavirus crisis forced a glut of Premier League postponements. Five of the 10 matches due to take place on Saturday and Sunday have been called off, taking the total number of postponed top-flight fixtures over the past week to nine. Villa's clash with Burnley was still due to go ahead, but Gerrard admitted that could quickly change after two matches this week were postponed just hours before kick-off.

"There's certainly a constant paranoia," said Gerrard. "Even now we are playing in 24 hours, I have a team I want to play, but it could change.

"I'm actually scared to look at my phone at the moment because every time the doctor calls me something changes."

Premier League clubs are due to meet on Monday to discuss the crisis, with a split emerging over whether to temporarily halt the season as a firebreaker for infections or to carry on.

The surge in virus cases in the middle of the most hectic period of the English football calendar has aggravated the chaos, with some managers voicing concerns over potential harm to the integrity of the competition.