Blackpool's game against Wigan Athletic to go ahead after Seasiders return negative Covid-19 tests

The club announced prior to Saturday’s FA Cup tie against Brighton & Hove Albion that they had returned five positive tests.

With Demetri Mitchell already self-isolating, that means Blackpool are without nine first-teams players when you also factor in Daniel Gretarsson, Keshi Anderson and CJ Hamilton are out injured.

Blackpool’s players and staff were tested once again yesterday, with Neil Critchley confirming to The Gazette that tonight’s trip to the DW Stadium could be in doubt if more positive tests were to be returned.

But the Seasiders have since revealed all players and staff who were tested on Monday have returned negative tests.

While the five players that tested positive haven’t been named, regular first-teamers Dan Ballard, Ollie Turton, Kenny Dougall and Grant Ward weren’t involved during Saturday’s FA Cup defeat to Brighton.

Although tonight’s game goes ahead, next weekend’s league game against Burton Albion remains in doubt following a Covid outbreak amongst the Brewers squad, which forced their midweek game against Shrewsbury Town to be postponed.

Jimmy Hasselbaink's side, who are without eight players and staff due to the outbreak, will be tested again on Wednesday.

Hasselbaink says that if the game against Blackpool does go ahead it gives his team precious little preparation time.

“The club is closed down now and we are not allowed in until Wednesday when we all be tested again," he said.

"Once we get the results back they will say what will happen. The club will be disinfected and all that kind of stuff to make sure the bug is out of the club.

“The players who are infected can’t do anything; the ones who aren’t can only do a bit of fitness work.

"We can do nothing as a group and if we come back after Wednesday, we only have two days and if the game goes ahead, they will be open for injuries as they have not trained and still have to then put that amount of stress on their bodies.

“But we will see what they say on Wednesday and take it from there.

“We have eight people affected and eight in our squad is a lot of people. The danger is of it escalating, which is why everyone needs to be away from each other to stop it going any further.”

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