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.
Former Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi has reportedly been the victim of a violent raid in which four thugs broke into his home and placed a belt around his neck while stealing cash and several valuable watches.
Benfica star Otamendi, who won two Premier League titles in a five-year stint with City, is said to be “doing well” after the attack, which happened early on Monday morning in his home south of Lisbon after he returned from his side’s Primeira Liga match against Famalicao on Sunday.
According to a report by Portuguese outlet Correio da Manha, the gang attacked the defender as he returned home and forced themselves through the front door while his wife and child were inside.
Further reports state that a belt was placed around his neck in order to restrain him and get him to reveal the location of valuables within his home.
CNN Portugal add that the thieves got away with cash and other valuables, and that the Portuguese Judiciary Police have launched an investigation into the robbery – with a private security firm hired to guard the footballer’s home from any further attacks.
Initial reporting also suggests that as many as seven men could have been involved, with suggestions that those responsible are from Eastern Europe.
It has also been claimed that the robbery was conducted like a ‘military raid‘, and that the thieves were wore gloves and balaclavas and communicated with one another by using walkie-talkies.
Police are also investigating a possible lead that the gang might also be responsible for various other robberies of professional footballers.
There have been similar incidents involving Porto midfielder Otavio as well as Celta de Vigo striker Iago Aspas, who lives just over Portugal’s northern border.
A statement from his club confirmed that Otamendi “was the victim of a robbery at his home during the early hours”.
“The player and his family are doing well despite the enormous discomfort generated by the situation they are experiencing.
“Benfica asks that the privacy of the player and his family be respected by all the media, pending the completion of the investigations initiated by the authorities.”
The 87-cap Argentina international has made 55 appearances for Benfica since arriving in 2020 as part of the deal which took Portugal defender Ruben Dias to City.
The glamorous wife of Manchester United and Sweden defender Victor Lindelof has revealed her fears and issued an update after he was forced out of his side’s win on Saturday because of chest pains and breathing difficulties.
Self-described influencer and designer Maja Lindelof, who has two children with the United star, watched on as the 27-year-old became the latest player to suffer a suspected heart problem.
Lindelof held his hand to his chest to indicate his discomfort with 15 minutes to go of United’s 1-0 win at Norwich in the Premier League.
“It was a scary match to watch and Victor was very [worried] afterwards,” said Lindelof, who married the former Benfica player in Sweden in 2018, via translation on her blog.
“Yesterday [Sunday] he did a lot of tests and he has had a heart monitor on for two days to make sure everything is OK.
“[It was] incredibly uncomfortable, especially when I could not get hold of him… it was a long [wait] before I got hold of someone on the team who updated me.
“Everything seems to be OK, as luck would have it, and we are waiting for answers to the final tests that will end tomorrow.”
New United boss Ralf Rangnick revealed after the game that Lindelof had been “struggling to breathe”.
The scare is the latest in a series of high-profile incidents including Christian Eriksen’s ordeal at Euro 2020 in the summer and an issue for Sergio Aguero that is expected to cause the Premier League legend to announce his premature retirement this week.
“He can’t remember how it happened but he had a collision with another player,” said Rangnick, adding that Lindelof’s heart rate had been abnormally high. “After the game, we checked him.”
Lindelof’s partner said that the family had spent the day at home resting on Sunday.
“The plan was to bake [for] Christmas with friends but we had to bake ourselves instead,” she said, calling the day “very cozy”.
The fashion fan invites fans to “follow her fast-paced life” on her blog, which she says consists of everything from “macaroni and falu sausage [to] festive galas and design meetings.”
United’s Premier League match at Brentford on Tuesday has been postponed because of a Covid outbreak at the club.
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.
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.
