Neil Warnock wants his Middlesbrough players to get both Covid jabs, but admits the majority have not received a vaccination out of "personal choice"; the Boro boss said: "I don't know where they're getting their advice from, but I think it's the wrong advice"
Tuesday 17 August 2021 12:53, UK
Neil Warnock has admitted the majority of his Middlesbrough players have not received both Covid vaccinations, and fears their Championship campaign could be disrupted if an outbreak were to hit the squad.
The Premier League confirmed 11 new positive cases from the latest round of testing on Monday, while the EFL have not released any figures for the new season.
Warnock, 72, received his first dose in February, urging others do to likewise, and now the Boro boss has said he is trying to get his own players to receive both jabs.
"Obviously it's important that everybody has two injections if they can, to solve that. You know we're doing tests on some of the players this morning, only the ones who haven't had two injections," Warnock said.
"I just can't see the logic in not having them so I think there will be some disruption from the season.
"You know it does worry you because if we lost two or three players with it now then we'd be in a right situation with the lads that are injured as well so I just don't see the logic.
"We are trying to get the lads to have injections if I'm honest, the vaccinations."
Asked if most of his players have received their vaccination, he added: "No. Obviously it's personal choice, I don't know where they're getting their advice from, like I say, but I think it's the wrong advice.
"It's not just for themselves, it's what they could do to other people if they have it. They don't realise the importance.
"You know, one or two lads will be going home this weekend cos we've not had a midweek [game], so who's to say they don't go down to London and see their grandparents or what have you and if they caught it, I just think it's irresponsible but that's how I am."
Meanwhile, Shrewsbury manager Steve Cotterill has said he would like to sit down with vaccine "non-believers" to discuss his own battle with coronavirus.
Cotterill spent four months away from Shrewsbury earlier this year due to Covid-19 and subsequent complications from the disease.
The 56-year-old spent time in intensive care after initially testing positive for coronavirus on January 1.
Cotterill said: "If I could give a non-believer of the vaccine or Covid how I felt for half an hour they would have the vaccine. Honestly, you don't want to catch this, it is a killer."
