Arsenal have officially announced that its head coach, Mikel Arteta, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), forcing the entire first-team and the coaching staff to go into self-isolation.

In a statement, the Gunners say that they have placed the club into a state of lockdown. It reads: “Our London Colney training centre has been closed after head coach Mikel Arteta received a positive COVID-19 result [on Thursday, 13 March]”.

Apparently, there may be up to 100 people that have been in contact with Arteta in the past few days and will have to be isolated for 14 days.

Arsenal is not the only Premier League club affected by COVID-19 – Chelsea winger, Callum Hudson-Odoi, also tested positive. The Blues confirmed that the entire first-team squad including Frank Lampard’s staff are in self-isolation.

These incidents prompted EPL executives to have an emergency meeting on Friday, 13 March, at which it was decided to postpone all EPL fixtures until April.

The Premier League’s chief executive, Richard Masters, said: “It was unanimously decided to suspend the Premier League with the intention of returning on 4 April, subject to medical advice and conditions at the time”.

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