Premier League: Brighton player tests positive for COVID-19

An unnamed Brighton footballer has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. He is reportedly the third player from Brighton to have contracted the disease.

He would now self isolate for 14 days after being tested on Saturday. Earlier in the onset of the pandemic, two other players from the club tested positive.

Brighton footballers are undergoing individual training at the club's training ground. Despite their player recently testing positive, the Premier League side said that they would allow the training to continue.

All Premier League clubs will meet on Monday to further discuss the proposed "Project Restart" plan.

Brighton chief executive Paul Barber said, "It is a concern. Despite all of the measures that we've been taking over the past few weeks, where the players haven't been involved in any significant training at all, we've still suffered another player testing positive for the virus."

Speaking of Brighton's COVID-19 positive player, Norwich's 22-year-old midfielder Todd Cantwell tweeted, "We are just people too."

The Premier League has been suspended since March 13 for an indefinite period. However, since then, the FA had been looking for ways to resume the season, even if it means playing matches behind closed doors at neutral venues. Most of the teams have nine fixtures remaining in their schedule.

Barber has always been vocal when it comes to opposing the league's plans of playing matches at neutral venues. Among the clubs, Watford and Aston Villa also objected to the proposal.

BBC reports that at Monday's meeting, the Premier League clubs aren't planning to vote on whether to play at neutral venues. Such a vote is likely to happen later in May.

The vote looks likely to be held later in May, and 14 of the 20 clubs must vote in favour of the proposal of using "neutral venues" for it to be adopted.

Before the voting starts, the league authorities are waiting for the government's guidance over bio-security at events and ground-safety licensing. The government is expected to speak on the topic later next week.

The topic for Monday's Premier League meeting would be to decide whether player contracts are to be extended until the rescheduled season ends.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Germany's Bundesliga 2 side Dynamo Dresden announced that they are putting their entire squad and coaching staff in 14-day isolation after two of their players tested positive for the virus.

It remains to be seen whether a similar fate awaits Brighton.