Cooper says Forest Green are 'waiting to find out' if Cobblers clash will be behind closed doors

Forest Green Rovers manager Mark Cooper says the club are 'still waiting to find out' how, if at all, the coronavirus outbreak will impact Saturday's game against Northampton.

Reports have suggested that all football matches in England will soon be put behind closed doors but there has yet to be any official announcement as the country moves to the 'delay' phase to tackle the spread of the virus.

"We're still waiting to find out what the outcome is going to be but it doesn't impact us too much," said Cooper.

"It's a game of football and as a team, we're ready. The boys thoroughly enjoyed the occasion last week (against Swindon) and they want more of it.

"It's a game of 90 minutes plus and whether it's behind closed doors or not, we're ready to play."

Asked if how the coronavirus has impacted his team's preparations, Cooper added: "We're just following the guidelines and we're trying to keep meetings down to a minimum and making sure they boys are all OK.

"No one has got any symptoms as of yet but we're monitoring that and we're speaking to the doctors.

"I think if you want to use it as a distraction, you can do but we're respectful of the situation and we'll do whatever is asked of us."

Cooper is also not in favour of putting matches behind closed doors and would rather suspend the season altogether.

"If you're going to play behind closed doors, it just punishes the clubs," he added. "From my point of view, I'd rather suspend the season for a couple of weeks because there's enough time to be able to fit it in.

"I'd rather that than punish the clubs because the revenue is vital for the smaller clubs."