Arsenal have reportedly been forced to close their Hale End academy until further notice after a senior member of staff tested positive for COVID-19.
The coronavirus pandemic has majorly affected football all over the world this year, with the Premier League notably suspended for three months and played behind closed doors since its return in the summer.
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Now, according to The Athletic, Arsenal have had to tell players and staff not to go to the site of their academy until further notice after a member of staff contracted coronavirus after returning from abroad.
This is a blow for Arsenal, with the report quoting a club spokesperson as saying six other members of staff are now also self isolating as a result of this positive test.
The report explains that this does not currently affect the facilities for the men and women’s first-team squads.
This is undoubtedly a blow for Arsenal, however, and it’s a reminder of just how much more chaos there could still be ahead for football over the winter months as COVID-19 cases rise again in the UK.