Dean Smith: Norwich boss says club face anxious wait for Covid test results before Man Utd game

Smith admits Norwich are "worried about a couple of players" as they wait for Covid-19 test results

Norwich boss Dean Smith says the club are waiting anxiously on coronavirus test results before their Premier League game against Manchester United.

Smith does not believe Norwich's Covid-related issues are linked to that game.

However, he admits the club are "worried about a couple of players" before hosting United at Carrow Road on Saturday evening.

"We have got a couple of knocks and have got a couple of Covid-related issues that we are waiting on results for this morning," said Smith, who took over at Norwich last month.

"I can't really let you in on any names, but there's a couple of players who who we are worried about, so we have tested and we will wait for the PCR results.

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"They are just feeling a little bit unwell, but it is not likely to be linked to the game last week with Tottenham."

Norwich's wait for test results comes at the end of a week in which Tottenham were forced to postpone Thursday's Europa Conference League game with Rennes and Sunday's Premier League encounter at Brighton following 13 positive Covid cases among the club's players and staff.

Leicester also had a number of Covid-related absences for their Europa League defeat at Napoli on Thursday, a result which saw the Foxes demoted to the Europa Conference League.

Smith does not believe Norwich's possible positive cases are linked to last week's defeat at Spurs, who have since been hit by an outbreak of the virus

Given the rising number of positive coronavirus cases driven by the Omicron variant, and the new measures in England, the Premier League has told its 20 clubs to return to the emergency measures brought in at the start of the season.

Clubs with high vaccination rates had relaxed some of the measures, which include social distancing and wearing masks indoors, but must now tighten restrictions again to help limit the spread of the Omicron variant.

And Smith believes Norwich, who have a high vaccination record within the playing squad, will adapt again as the pandemic takes another uncertain turn.

"They are similar regulations to what we we have had previously, so won't be too much newness about it from what the lads were doing before," added Smith.

"But there'll be masks inside the building, no prolonged meetings and soft tissue massaging will be kept to a minimum as well.

"It has become part of our lives unfortunately - and hopefully we can soon get rid of it.

"The protocols are there for a reason. If we are following them, then there shouldn't be too many worries about a spread."

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