December 17, (THEWILL) – Pep Guardiola, the manager of Manchester City, has received an inconclusive coronavirus test result and will have to wait for the results of another PCR test to see if he needs to self-isolate.
The Catalan coach was scheduled to speak to the media at 1:30 pm on Friday ahead of City’s trip to Newcastle this weekend. However, his most recent test came back inconclusive, so the press conference was cancelled.
Guardiola will have to self-isolate for ten days if a more accurate PCR test comes out positive. It means he will miss City’s Boxing Day match against Leicester in addition to Sunday’s encounter at St James’ Park.
In the case that Guardiola is unable to be in the City dugout, his assistant, Juanma Lillo, will most likely take over. Guardiola’s absence on the bench and in training might be a major setback for City’s Premier League title defence.
While Manchester City have recaptured first place in the rankings, Liverpool are only one point behind them.
Guardiola has been a vocal proponent of vaccinations and booster shots in the Premier League. Several clubs have been struggling to suppress COVID-19 outbreaks in recent days, but the top brass is optimistic that the season will go on as usual.
After half of this weekend’s games were postponed, the competition’s 20 clubs will meet on Monday to debate how to continue with the season.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
