‘I had one last week’ – West Brom defender warns of prolonged COVID-19 effects
Branislav Ivanovic has warned of the prolonged effects of contracting the coronavirus after the West Brom defender picked up a ‘minor’ injury which he has blamed on the virus.
Ivanovic missed his new side’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur earlier this season after he tested positive for COVID-19.
Speaking to Serbian outlet Zurnal, the 36-year-old has warned of how the disease is still affecting him some weeks later.
He said, “We must take the situation seriously, to be aware of how dangerous the coronavirus is, especially for people who already have health problems.
“Three or four days and it was hard for me, I had a high temperature, all the symptoms and I had to be careful.
“At that moment, all the football players were worried, when you get a positive crown test, you can’t train for ten days, and when you come back, you work hard and then you get minor injuries. I had one last week, probably as a result of the coronavirus.”
Ivanovic’s comments will be a cause for concern among the West Brom fan base as he wasn’t the only player at The Hawthorns to contract the disease.
Several players, including Matheus Pereira, had the disease and if those players are more susceptible to injury as a result then it could spell trouble for the Baggies.
Of course, at 36-years-old Ivanovic is going to be more injury-prone than the younger West Brom players but he will know his body well and if he says that the coronavirus is still affecting him then he should be believed.
Slaven Bilic hasn’t said that Ivanovic is injured so it seems his knock won’t rule him out of Sunday’s game against Crystal Palace.
The last thing Albion need is a string of injuries to key players so let’s hope the medical team are still keeping a keen eye on the players who tested positive for COVID-19.
In other West Brom news, Slaven Bilic has hinted that a rarely seen Albion ace could play some role in Sunday’s game against Crystal Palace.