Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard says that a player’s vaccine status will “come into conversations” ahead of January’s transfer window after the Premier League recorded the highest number of weekly Covid-19 cases since May.
Liverpool icon Gerrard, who succeeded Dean Smith in the Villa hotseat in November, told the media on Monday that the club have begun discussions about potential transfer targets as he looks to bolster a squad still seemingly struggling after the £100 million ($132.4 million) record transfer of club captain Jack Grealish to Manchester City in August.
But according to Gerrard, there are several factors to consider when it comes to potential new additions to his squad – not least whether or not a potential signing has been vaccinated against Covid-19.
Two games (Brighton vs. Tottenham; Brentford vs. Man. United) have recently fallen off the packed December Premier League schedule after Covid outbreaks within the Spurs and United squads forced league chiefs to pull the plug on the games.
The Premier League has revealed that 42 cases of Covid-19 infection had been recorded from tests on 3,805 players and club staff between December 6 and December 12 – the highest number of positive tests since the figures were first released in May.
The alarming increase in figures comes as the Premier League instructed clubs to reinstate emergency measures such as the wearing of facemasks, social distancing and limiting medical treatment time in the wake of country-wide rises in Covid-19 cases.
Gerrard’s Villa team are among those to have been affected, with the former England international confirming two of his squad members have tested positive alongside two staff members.
“I think it's each to their own in terms of a decision – I'm certainly double vaxxed”
And in further comments, he detailed just how that might impact his club’s discussions about how they will spend their cash in January.
“I’ve been really impressed with [sporting director] Johan Lange and the guys around him in recruitment and scouting, in terms of the details and work I’ve seen so far. We look at everything. So I’m sure it will come up,” said Gerrard.
“But we’ll obviously make decisions as and when we decide a certain person is the one who could come in and make us better. We’ll go across it with a fine-toothed comb.
“But I don’t think it’s right for me to comment on if I would or wouldn’t in that situation. But it would certainly come into conversations in the background.”
Gerrard – who is double-vaccinated – was a notable advocate of the efficacy of vaccines during his spell with Scottish team Rangers, admitting to the media that he had been “pushing” his players to take their opportunities to receive a vaccine against Covid-19.
“We are pushing, we are asking all our players to go and get this done. But we certainly can’t force them because I think everyone is entitled to make their own decisions,” he said in October.
A report in the same month detailed that just 68 percent of Premier League players had been vaccinated against Covid-19.
There were shocking reported scenes at a top-flight Italian football match when a 23-year-old man had to be resuscitated after suffering a cardiac arrest – leading home manager Jose Mourinho to make him a promise.
The famous Stadio Olimpico in Rome is said to have fallen into silence as news of the fan’s predicament spread, with fans reportedly lowering their flags in solidarity while the stricken supporter was helped by medics using a defibrilator.
Some fans were so upset that they reportedly left the south curve area of the stadium, and the man suffered a second heart attack in the ambulance while he was being transported to hospital, according to Corriere della Sera via Forza Roma.
He is now said to be intubated and sedated in intensive care in the Gemelli Polyclinic, having undergone tests that reportedly ruled out ‘complications’.
In the first half an hour of the Roma-Spezia game, a 30-year-old fan suffered a cardiac arrest in the stands. He was resuscitated with a defibrillator and rushed to the Gemelli Hospital, report La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The incident is not the first of its kind in recent months. The Premier League match between Newcastle and Tottenham was halted in October while a doctor in the crowd attended to a medical emergency involving a fellow supporter who was later said to have been ‘stable and responsive’.
Mourinho, who guided Roma to a 2-0 win over Spezia in the match on Sunday, issued a message to the fan the following day.
“I only understood [what had happened] at the end,” the former Serie A champion is quoted as saying.
“Let’s hope everything goes well. In that case, if he gives me the address, I will send him the my jacket – so the next time he comes in this cold, he’ll have my jacket.”
The fan fell ill a day after Victor Lindelof was forced out of Manchester United’s win at Norwich because he felt discomfort in his chest and was struggling to breathe.
United boss Ralf Rangnick confirmed that the defender’s heart rate had been higher than normal when he withdrew him with 15 minutes remaining.
Lindelof’s wife, Maja, said on her blog on Tuesday that the Sweden international had recovered at home and was undergoing tests.
Premier League legend Sergio Aguero is arguably the most high-profile footballer to have been hit by suspected heart problems this season.
The Manchester City record scorer is expected to announce his premature retirement as a result of his problem on Wednesday.
A four-year-old girl was killed and 36 people were injured when football fans in the Yemeni capital of Sana’a rampaged through the streets to celebrate a win over Saudi Arabia, according to reports.
Footage from the city appears to show wild scenes with large mobs on the roads and loud bangs audible following the penalty shootout victory for the national under-16 side in the West Asian Football championship.
Ecstatic supporters showed their joy across rebel and government-held areas of the war-torn countries, including the capital, which is under the control of the Islamist Houthi rebels.
A hospital medic said they had killed a child with gunfire used during the incident, according to AFP via Barron’s.
“A four-year-old girl was killed and 36 people were injured,” the agency quoted the official as saying, adding that they had spoken on condition of anonymity.
A correspondent for AFP reported that shooting and celebrations went on late and including car horns being honked and fireworks being released.
The youth team secured the win that sparked the scenes in a match in the Saudi city of Dammam.
The internationally-recognized government of Yemen is supported by a Saudi-led military coalition.
Yemen Hans Grundberg, the UN Special envoy for Yemen, offered his congratulations and appeared to back the public response before learning of the tragic consequences.
“Heartwarming to see the unity, joy and celebrations across the country,” he tweeted.
Sharing photos of the celebrations, one viewer told the team: “How much [has] the Yemeni national team [achieved]?
“You guys have made your people happy. And everyone was happy. And you united all the sects and parties from the north of Yemen to the south, despite all the differences.
“The joy is one for all. You were able to unite your people and gather them with one common joy.”
Journalist Ali Al-Sakani reported during the aftermath of the match: “Tonight, every nook and cranny of Yemen is celebrating the [title win] – even in Marib city, despite ongoing war, pain and suffering.”
AFP quoted a UN Development Programme report from last month as saying that 377,000 people will have died by the end of 2021 as a result of the Yemen war.
UFC loudmouth Conor McGregor has again taken a shot at one of Dagestan’s most famous fighters, this time hurling an insult at top-ranked lightweight Islam Makhachev after a tense back-and-forth on social media.
McGregor has drawn the ire of several fighters from the region following numerous statements made by the Irishman throughout his fractious feud with undefeated champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, and he appears to have affixed his crosshairs to surging lightweight contender Makhachev as his next target.
Makhachev, the fighter anointed by many as Khabib’s successor in the UFC’s 155lbs frame, is poised to receive his first opportunity at UFC gold should he get past Beneil Dariush in February – with the 21-1 fighter unable to resist taking a shot at ‘The Notorious’ on social media after McGregor tweeted his interest in an upcoming fight with champion Charles Oliveira.
“So what date am I fighting Oliveira?” McGregor tweeted.
“Your fight is on February 30,” came the cheeky response from Makhachev.
However, Makhachev’s joke wasn’t well received by the angry McGregor, who shot back in a since-deleted tweet.
“You’re a nobody, inbred,” wrote McGregor before hastily erasing his message – but not before it had been retweeted several hundred times.
McGregor’s insult is the latest in a series of offensive statements he has made towards Dagestani people over of the years. During his feud with Nurmagomedov, he referred to the Russian’s wife as a “towel” as well as making derogatory statements following the death of Khabib’s father, Abdulmanap.
He had also previously referenced “inbreeding” by quoting statistics about births from the region before again deleting the tweet – something which prompted Nurmagomedov’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, to wade in to the row.
People of Dagestan some of the best people in the world they are honorable hard worker and have a Lotta integrity something you don’t know nothing about https://t.co/QQYqKjf54Q
And in another erased tweet, McGregor simply wrote: “Cousin wife.”
It remains to be seen exactly who McGregor will compete against when he makes his return from the gruesome leg break he suffered last summer against Dustin Poirier – but with Makhachev or Dariush and Justin Gaethje ahead of him in the queue, it seems that the Irishman’s lust for gold won’t be quenched anytime soon.
Makhachev, though, has repeatedly called for a fight with McGregor over the years – something which SBG Ireland head coach John Kavanagh said he would be interested in McGregor pursuing.
Judging by the nature of their recent Twitter exchange, a matchup between the two would certainly now have a little extra zest attached to it.
Former NFL running back Zac Stacy says that a video which appears to show him violently abusing his ex-girlfriend in front of their infant child was ‘staged’ and was an attempt on her part to extort him.
Stacy, once of the New York Jets, was arrested a month ago in Orlando, Florida after the alleged assault on his former partner and the mother of his child, Stacy Evans.
Disturbing home security footage of the incident showed Stacy appearing to punch Evans on numerous occasions before throwing her towards a television and then their child’s buggy while she cried out for him to stop the attack.
A subsequent warrant issued for the 30-year-old described how Stacy had thrown Evans to the floor “like a rag doll” before he was arrested and charged with aggravated battery and criminal mischief which could land him in prison for 20 years if convicted.
Look at Zac Stacy saying his son’s mother staged him beating her and throwing her around. Wow. What a complete narcissist. She made me do it officer. pic.twitter.com/UUdmogVcLR
However, arrest footage obtained by TMZ shows that Stacy told cops that Evans had staged the assault for the benefit of the recording cameras after he had denied her romantic approaches.
“It’s just a case of bitterness, man,” he says in the footage of his arrest. “That’s why she did this – the whole assault thing, she staged it. She set me up.
“The whole thing was staged,” he added. “All she’s trying to do is get money out of me. She got a reaction out of me.”
Warning: video contains graphic content
Home video captures former NFL running back Zac Stacy savagely beating the mother of his child & throwing her around like a rag doll in Florida. The child was just feet away. Zac Stacy played for St. Louis Rams & the Jets. pic.twitter.com/ikI38QqdAu
The former NFL star also told the Orlando Police Department that he had just emerged from treatment for anxiety and depression as well as finding out that Evans had an affair with his financial advisor, but that he had shown up to her residence to offer his support as a parent.
“She knew I was down, she knew I was going through anxiety and depression. She knew I was trying to close this gap that’s between me and my son and she’s just upset that she got caught, and she’s upset I’m not taking care of him like she expected.
Stacy, however, admitted that the evidence caught on the security footage was “f*cked up”, adding: “I don’t know what man – how any man could have handled that situation.”
Evans, though, offered a fierce rebuttal of Stacy’s claims in a video statement on Monday and said he was “playing victim” with his claims.
“I don’t know how you can stage getting you ass beat on multiple occasions. You can’t” she said.
“This is what abusers do. They will make you seem like you’re the crazy one and that they’re the victim.
“It really makes me more upset that the cops are consoling him, telling him to breathe. Everything about this makes me uncomfortable.”
She had previously sought a restraining order against Stacy while claiming that he had been violent to her since she became pregnant with their child, with a report from UK tabloid The Sun detailing a series of domestic disturbance calls to police.
