‘If we have a circuit break when are we going to get the games in?’ – Jones on Ipswich virus call

Luton boss Nathan Jones will not join the calls for a football circuit-breaker to cope with the rising number of coronavirus cases cancelling festive football fixtures, saying the schedule is already hectic enough.

In the Championship, Rotherham United and Millwall have had games cancelled after outbreaks of Covid-19, while in the lower leagues Hull, Portsmouth, Ipswich, Peterborough, Sunderland, Bristol Rovers and Stevenage have all had games wiped out this month. 

It comes as more of the country was told yesterday that it will be placed into the toughest Tier 4 restrictions, following the discovery of a new strain of coronavirus in the south-east. 

Luton, London and other areas surrounding the capital were locked down last week, as a result or rising cases.

Players in the Premier League and Championship are tested regularly, but Ipswich boss Paul Lambert – one of eight people to have tested positive for Covid at the Suffolk club – has blasted the lack of regular testing throughout the EFL.

The Scot backed his physio’s call for a ‘circuit-breaker’ to take the pressure off football clubs and help combat the rise in cases, but Luton boss Jones does not share the same view.

He said: “At this point it’s not affecting us in any way, praise the lord. We’ve been very diligent, hopefully that can continue as you never know at the minute with the amount of strains and mutations of Covid, so we’re trying to keep our ear to the ground, trying to be as diligent as we can.

“If we have a circuit break when are we going to get the games in? We’re absolutely backs to the wall anyway. So, some might want a circuit breaker, at the minute, I wouldn’t be one to advocate that.

“I’m not saying it’s a bad idea, but if that just means that further down the line we have to play back to back-to-back-to-back games, we’ve had a hectic schedule (already)

“This one eases a little bit for the next two weeks with games, so we’ve asked our players to try and be diligent and if our players are diligent then we won’t need that, I understand why some managers want it, especially those affected, because they want to play their best team.”

Town striker James Collins tested positive for coronavirus in October, but is now back playing. On that occasion, the Republic of Ireland forward was isolated and tests returned no other positives among the Town squad.  

Asked if there was anything Town can do to combat the rise in cases in England, Jones said: “It’s very difficult to say that there’s no way it can get into the squad because you can catch it anywhere. You can catch it in a petrol station so you’ve just got to be diligent. 

“We’re just reminding everyone to be diligent with what we do and if we are then hopefully (we’ll be OK). 

“We have certain bubbles here at the training ground. No-one comes in from outside, it’s just our group. 

“We have separate groups for the academy and so on, so we’re trying to be as diligent as we possibly can.

“So, it’s not just about more testing, it’s about the diligence of doing that (taking precautions). And, providing we are mixing with just our people, then we have an element of control. 

“But there are lots of ways it can infiltrate you, if you like.”