Eight Championship players or staff test positive for coronavirus

Championship season is due to resume this Saturday, meaning any players who have tested positive in the latest round of testing will have to sit out the next round of fixtures and enter self-isolation

Eight positive results have been provided from the latest round of coronavirus testing across the Championship, just three days before the season resumed.

The English Football League confirmed that eight players or staff across six clubs tested positive for coronavirus from 2,213 tests in the last week, and any players who are among those to currently have Covid-19 will enter a period of self-isolation and miss the restart of the 2019/20 season this weekend.

An EFL statement read: “The EFL can confirm that 2,213 players and club staff from the 24 Championship Clubs were tested over the course of the past week with eight individuals testing positive from six Clubs.

“Those players or Club staff who have tested positive will now self-isolate in line with the guidelines provided by the EFL and only those who have tested negative will be permitted to enter training ground facilities.”

The results from the seventh round of testing takes the number of individuals to provide a positive sample to 40, from a total of 8,780 tests across all 24 Championship clubs, and the EFL stressed that the increase from six to eight positive tests since the last round of results can be put down to the fact that announcement have this week reduced from twice to once a week.

Brentford confirmed that they have provided one of the eight positive tests, with the individual now in self-isolation to avoid spreading the virus. The club are due to take part in the first game back this weekend as they travel to Craven Cottage for the 12:30pm kick-off against Fulham.

“Brentford Football Club can confirm that we have returned a positive test,” a statement read. “The individual concerned is now self-isolating in accordance with the EFL guidelines.”

Any player who has tested positive for coronavirus in the latest round of testing will have to self-isolate for at least seven days until their symptoms disappear, with a gradual return to take place over the following week if symptoms do persist. Those who do not show any symptoms but test positive must remain away from the club for at least 10 days, and will have to enter the seven-day isolation immediately if they then show symptoms at a later date.

Players and staff who test positive for coronavirus do not have to be tested again for 28 days, but any subsequent positive test is then treated as a fresh positive.

The EFL also confirmed that four players or staff members from two League One clubs tested positive for coronavirus out of 254 tests, while there were no positive results from 174 tests across four League Two clubs.

With both League One and League Two regular seasons curtailed, only those teams due to compete in the play-offs are required to take part in coronavirus testing. The League Two play-offs get underway on Thursday, while League One resumes on 3 July.