Burton players test positive for COVID nine days before Cobblers fixture

Six Burton Albion players have tested positive for coronavirus while several others are self-isolating just nine days before they are due to host the Cobblers at the Pirelli Stadium.

Doubts emerged regarding Saturday's League One fixture at Hull City when the Brewers confirmed they had been hit by a spate of COVID cases in the aftermath of their Papa John’s Trophy win over Fulham on Tuesday, with the club confirming that discussions with the EFL were taking place.

A statement on Wednesday read: "After the latest round of testing, Burton Albion Football Club has had several members of the first-team squad and staff confirmed as positive for Covid-19. The health and safety of everyone at the club remains our paramount concern and those players and staff affected are now self isolating away from the club.

"No-one testing positive was involved in last night's game. The EFL has been notified and we await a decision on whether this weekend’s fixture away at Hull will go ahead."

However, following those discussions, Hull's fixture with Burton will go ahead as planned, albeit with a depleted Albion squad. The Brewers have enough players to fulfil the fixture but will need to recall players from loan and dip into the academy to fill the squad.

“We have six players who tested positive, and six self-isolating, as well four staff members," confirmed manager Jake Buxton. "The procedures we have gone through as a football club have all been correct.

"At the training ground and around the football club we are social distancing, wearing face masks and doing all the right things, but ultimately it was only a matter of time before it came into the group. We did a mass testing on Tuesday and that was the results that came back.

“This is going to be an ongoing situation for the next couple of weeks. I have spoken to all the players who have tested positive and they are all OK. They have mild headaches, some are more ill than others, but it’s more concern about taking it home to their families."

It is not yet known how, if at all, this impacts Northampton's scheduled trip to Burton next weekend.