Steve Morison confirms City squad is Covid free

Last updated : 29 December 2021 By BBC Sport

Cardiff City's squad is free of Covid-19 after a raft of cases caused their past two matches to be postponed, manager Steve Morison has confirmed.

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Last week, Morison said Covid-19 had "ripped through" the Bluebirds' squad, leaving him with more infected than non-infected players.

Having not played since 11 December, Cardiff visit Championship leaders Bournemouth on Thursday.

"Everyone has now not got Covid," said Morison.

"We had our first major training yesterday [Monday] for 10 days and our second training session today.

"We're ticking as many boxes as we can to prepare ourselves as best we can for Bournemouth.

"We haven't had rhythm or routine because we've all been at home.

"We're back on the grass now and back in the building with slightly different measures. We train, we get our food and go home so it's slightly different to what it was, but the main thing is that everyone is healthy and as fit as they can be."

While it is a relief for Cardiff to have players available once again after the Covid-19 outbreak, their long wait for a game has impacted the fitness of the entire squad, including those who were not infected but unable to train while the training ground was closed.

"It hasn't been positive at all. It's been like a mid-season break, enforced," said Morison.

"Effectively, the lads have had 10 to 12 days completely off their feet. The amount of players we had infected, they weren't even allowed to leave their house.

"They were at a different level of fitness to what they were prior. The lads who did get it could do a little more [fitness work].

"That's just the facts. We can't worry about it. If we start worrying about it, then it becomes a bigger problem than it is. We just need to get on with it.

"The protocols put in place mean we have to play three days after coming out of isolation, as long as you have no reactions."

As well as impacting Cardiff's festive schedule, Morison believes Covid-19 will affect the January transfer window.

"In all honesty, this latest outbreak we're in of Covid, I would be highly surprised if anyone does any business before the back end of January," said the former Wales striker.

"Every team we speak to, they can't be releasing players. They need them in case they have a Covid outbreak. Everybody's in the same boat.

"I think it's going to be a really late market, and that won't be for a want of trying. It will be more about the fact people are in a completely different scenario.

"They've got players who could possibly go out on loan but then they have two or three players come down with Covid and they need to keep them and put them on the bench.

"We need to get through this wave now. Some of the big boys might do something but I think people will be very reluctant to let people go until we're hopefully out the other side of what we're in at the minute."

Cardiff have four players out on loan at the moment. Midfielder Ryan Wintle and winger Josh Murphy are at Championship rivals Blackpool and Preston North End respectively, while striker Max Watters and winger Gavin Whyte are with League One clubs MK Dons and Oxford United.

All four are season-long loans but Cardiff could consider recalling them in January.

"We can only call them back at certain times," said Morison.

"When those dates approach we'll decide whether we'll call them back or not."