10 May 2020

Third Brighton player tests positive for coronavirus as Premier League suffers another setback

Brighton have revealed that a third player in their squad has tested positive for coronavirus.

The unnamed player, who was confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 after receiving their results on Saturday, will now be forced to self-isolate for 14 days.

It comes after two other individuals returned positive tests in March and April.

All 20 Premier League clubs are scheduled to meet on Monday to discuss moving forward with the ‘Project Restart’ proposal which would look to see football return in England in June.

However, Brighton chief executive Paul Barber has already come out and opposed plans to stage matches in neutral venues.

Speaking on the club website, he said: "I’ve heard several times in the last week people talking about the greater good and doing what’s right for the game as a whole and I accept that.

“But I have to put a hierarchy in place: my club; the league that I represent; and the game as a whole. 

“And if I can do right by my club and support the league and ultimately do right by the game as a whole, then that’s great, but I have to put the interests of my club and the hundreds of staff that work for our club first.”

Watford and Aston Villa have also publicly opposed the proposal, meaning the Premier League could struggle to push through Project Restart in time for a June resumption.

UEFA have stated a deadline of May 25 for domestic competitions to outline their plan in order to ensure the Champions League and Europa League can be finished later on in the summer.

The German Bundesliga have already set their return date as May 16, while France's Ligue 1 have finished their season prematurely and named Paris Saint-Germain as champions.

The best videos delivered daily

Watch the stories that matter, right from your inbox