Wolves Hit With Positive COVID-19 Test Ahead of Southampton Clash

Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Nuno Espirito Santo has been forced to re-think his preparations ahead of Monday's meeting with Southampton, after one of his senior players tested positive for COVID-19.

Wolves have endured a tricky start to the season and currently find themselves down in 12th in the Premier League. They fell to a 1-0 loss to Leicester before the international break, but Nuno will hope to see his side bounce back on Monday.

Unfortunately, as noted by The Telegraph, they will have to do so without one senior player, who is not named for confidentiality reasons, after the player tested positive for COVID-19 upon his return from the international break.

The player in question had been away from Molineux on international duty, where it is believed that he contracted the virus, and Nuno is understood to be frustrated at the prospect of being without another first-team player for the game.

The boss is already facing a nervous wait to find out whether centre-back Conor Coady can feature on Monday.

The England international was forced to withdraw from Gareth Southgate's squad after coming into contact with somebody who later tested positive. Coady is yet to return to training but is hopeful of making it back in time.

Nuno has previously questioned the logic behind playing international games during the ongoing pandemic, while he also voiced his frustrations towards the time it takes to determine whether a player is safe to return after spending time with his national side.

We had a lot of players involved in national teams, some in different continents. It’s always an issue when we are facing a pandemic situation and the infection rates are increasing, and players go to different environments,” he said.

“They return and have to be tested, and we have to wait for the results, so it’s a worrying moment for everybody. It’s public that we have the situation of [Conor] Coady, so let’s hope and see. We have issues and we need to assess them.”

Wolves' return of just eight goals from as many games this season is the poorest record of any side outside the bottom three, and Nuno will be hoping that this latest disruption does not hinder his side's attempt to get firing once again.

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