In a statement on Thursday, Arsenal announced that London Colney, Arsenal’s training ground has been closed after Mikel Arteta received a positive result for Coronavirus. Other Arsenal personnel have put themselves into isolation in line with proper procedure.
This “close personnel” seems to consist of the full first team squad, coaching staff, a some people from the Academy – which will also be closed as a precaution. Those that did not have close contact with Mikel are expected to continue working in the coming days.
Read Arsenal’s full statement here.
According to Vinai Venkatesham, Managing Director, “The health of our people and the wider public is our priority and that is where our focus is. Our thoughts are with Mikel who is disappointed but in good spirits. We are in active dialogue with all the relevant people to manage this situation appropriately, and we look forward to getting back to training and playing as soon as medical advice allows.”
Arsenal ended their statement by making it clear that certain fixtures will not be played at their scheduled date.
Mikel Arteta “This is really disappointing but I took the test after feeling poorly. I will be at work as soon as I’m allowed.”
While we wait to see what this will mean for future games, who else will begin to test positive for the virus that is raging through the world’s population, and speculations begin to emerge on how leagues will handle the potential cancellation of their seasons, we simply say – get well Mikel and know that no one will or should hold this against you. It is clear how hard you have been working and your health is a matter we take very seriously.
Gunner Thoughts 