Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo calls for quicker coronavirus test results after West Ham fiasco 

‘It’s stressful, difficult and disruptive’: Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo calls for quicker coronavirus test results after West Ham fiasco

  • Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo wants coronravirus test results quicker 
  • Wolves face West Ham, whose manager David Moyes tested positive this week
  • West Ham players Issa Diop and Josh Cullen also tested positive for the virus

Nuno Espirito Santo has called for coronavirus test results to be made available to clubs more quickly to avoid a repeat of the fiasco at West Ham this week.

Hammers boss David Moyes and players Issa Diop and Josh Cullen were found to have tested positive 70 minutes before their Carabao Cup tie with Hull on Tuesday — but the game still went ahead after the trio left the ground and were replaced in the team, with Moyes’ assistant Alan Irvine taking charge.

Moyes will be absent when West Ham meet Wolves on Sunday as he will still be isolating, but Wolves boss Nuno warned that similar problems lay ahead unless the testing system is improved.

Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo wants coronavirus testing results available quicker

At present, players and staff usually learn their results within 24 hours of the procedure.

‘It’s one of the issues it’s possible to improve,’ said Nuno. ‘It will help us in terms of preparation. I expect problems will become more difficult because the pandemic is not solved. I understand there is pressure on the labs to provide the results as quickly as possible but we need better clarification from the Government and from the Premier League regarding the protocols. It’s tough for managers.

‘We are preparing for a game but the day before the game, you still don’t know the test results. It’s stressful, difficult and disruptive.’

West Ham boss David Moyes won't be on the touchline against Wolves as he is self-isolating

West Ham boss David Moyes won’t be on the touchline against Wolves as he is self-isolating

Meanwhile, test results have shown there has been no further outbreak at West Ham after Moyes, Diop and Cullen returned positives earlier in the week.

The trio are self-isolating until Thursday, with Irvine on the touchline against Wolves.

Irvine said: ‘We got tested on Wednesday and the last results came in Friday morning. We were waiting for the all-clear.

‘I was trying to plan training on Thursday night knowing I could get a phone call at any point to say a number of players have not been cleared to come in. That was a strange one. 

‘But all staff and players have been given the all clear, which is great. David will be the manager (against Wolves) and everything we do will be run through him first of all. He’ll make the decisions on everything that he would do if he was here. I am just the messenger.’

Issa Diop is self-isolating after testing positive for coronavirus

West Ham's Josh Cullen is also self-isolating

Issa Diop (left) and Josh Cullen (right) are also self-isolating after they both tested positive

In scenes approaching farce on Tuesday, West Ham were only notified at 6.20pm ahead of a 7.30pm kick-off that their manager and two starters had tested positive. Irvine is in the dark over whether the results procedure will be quick enough in coming games to avoid a repeat.

He said: ‘It is certainly taking longer now than previously, and yes we could find ourselves in a situation where we will be tested on Monday and we have got a game against Everton on Wednesday so we could be travelling to Everton not knowing the test results.

‘We have got no choice. That is what we are going to have to do, and what we will do, until somebody tells us something different is happening.’ 

West Ham v Wolves, Sunday 7pm, LIVE on BT Sport 1 from 6.30pm.



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