Sports
Celtic attracts with Hibernian after 13 gamers compelled to self-isolate
It meant Celtic was with out supervisor Neil Lennon, assistant John Kennedy and 13 first-team gamers for Monday’s sport following defender Christopher Jullien’s optimistic check days after the membership returned from a winter coaching camp in Dubai.
David Turnbull’s well-hit free-kick appeared to have secured victory for the depleted aspect, however Kevin Nisbet secured a draw for Hibernian with an injury-time strike.
Celtic is now 21 factors adrift of rival Rangers, albeit with three video games in hand, and appears unlikely to win a tenth consecutive Scottish Premiership title.
“There is a sense of delight among the many youthful gamers however there’s additionally a large sense of frustration that we could not see it out,” coach Gavin Strachan informed Celtic TV.
“That is drilled into these gamers at this membership — that it is approximately successful and we at all times need good performances. We fell quick on the final hurdle tonight.”
The draw and Jullien’s optimistic check got here after criticism of the membership’s journey to Dubai earlier this month with Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon saying throughout her coronavirus briefing on Monday that she was “upset and annoyed” with the state of affairs.
“As I’ve stated earlier than, I do have doubts, primarily based on how the membership itself described it, doubts approximately whether or not Celtic’s journey to Dubai was actually important,” Sturgeon stated, including that “everybody, together with soccer, ought to be erring on the aspect of warning.”
Hibernian boss Jack Ross informed Sky Sports activities that his gamers’ households had expressed considerations forward of the match towards Celtic. The membership had requested for a further spherical of “on the day” testing of Celtic gamers to happen, however the request was refused.
“The contacts have been recognized throughout the interval from Wednesday final week, primarily round flight and group coach journey, throughout which era Celtic utilized the identical rigorous protocols used for pre-season coaching camps, UEFA match journey and for all home match preparations in Scotland,” stated the assertion.
“These protocols have served us properly previously, because the membership has not had one optimistic case in our personal ‘bubble’ till now.
“As now we have already acknowledged, Celtic’s determination to journey to Dubai for a coaching camp was for efficiency causes … The fact is {that a} case might properly have occurred had the group remained in Scotland, as different circumstances have performed in Scottish soccer and throughout UK sport previously week.”
On January 4, Celtic stated the coaching camp was accredited by all related soccer and authorities authorities and that it had been “totally danger assessed.”
On Tuesday, Dubai was faraway from the UK’s journey exempt record, that means these arriving from Dubai should self-isolate for 10 days.
“Since January 3, greater than 50 folks have examined optimistic for Covid in Scotland after getting back from Dubai,” Sturgeon stated throughout her briefing.
“Now, let me be clear. That does not essentially imply that they received Covid after they have been in Dubai, however the quantity of optimistic circumstances strongly means that there might be important dangers connected to journey to and from Dubai proper now.”
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