Ralph Hasenhuttl reveals Danny Ings has tested positive for COVID-19

15 January 2021 02:15

Danny Ings will miss Southampton's clash with Leicester after testing positive for COVID-19, Ralph Hasenhuttl has confirmed.

The England striker scored the winner as the Saints beat defending champions Liverpool 1-0 back on 4 January, before their FA Cup clash with Shrewsbury was called off due to an outbreak within the League One club's squad.

Ings scored the winner against his former club Liverpool in his last game | Pool/Getty Images

Hasenhuttl has now revealed that Ings tested positive following the Liverpool game and has been in isolation since. Speaking in his pre-game press conference (via Daily Mail), the Austrian said: "I only can tell you that after the last game against Liverpool we had one positive test, Danny Ings is out since ten days now in self isolation.

"I don't know if he can come back tomorrow. We will look back when it is possible with the tests he makes all the time but it seems he is out for the weekend yes."

Southampton have been hit by the virus before this season, with goalkeeper Alex McCarthy missing the Liverpool game with a positive test and the manager says that the two cases have been very similar.

"Alex [McCarthy] was for a few days a little bit weak and didn't feel good. But after this he was fine. Only two days I think. With Danny I think it was nearly the same because he feels good at the moment. He had two or three days of symptoms."

Ings will miss the game against Leicester but should return soon after | Pool/Getty Images

According to the Saints' coach, Ings' positive result likely means he was contagious when on the pitch against Tottenham a few days prior to the Liverpool game. With protocols being tightened on goal celebrations for players, Hasenhuttl claims that this proves it doesn't make a difference, but says his players will continue to follow the new rules.

"That [Ing's result] meant that in this game maybe also he was contagious - I think its 48 hours before a positive test you can be - and we had no further positive tests so far.

"We were a little bit scared about what would happen if we had more cases or not. But it seems the way we are handling everything here and the way we are working together is still keeping us in a safe environment."

Ings is currently Southampton's top goalscorer this season with seven goals in 13 appearances.

Source: 90min