Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce has stopped his players from shaking hands in training on the advice of the club's medic.
The club's doctor, Paul Catterson, has made the recommendation to Bruce that the regular practice at their Benton training ground should cease due to the threat of the coronavirus.
Bruce says they are taking extra precautions:
"There is a ritual here that everybody shakes hands with everybody as soon as we see each other every morning, we have stopped that on the advice of the doctor.
"I think we're like everybody else. Thankfully, we have got a superb doctor here and he will keep us informed of what we have to do.
"We're glued to the TV and where it's going to go next and let’s hope it doesn’t get any worse in this country."
Bruce hasn't come across something like this before:
Newcastle face Burnley in the Premier League at St James Park tomorrow without the Republic of Ireland defender Ciaran Clark, who will miss the Euro 2020 playoff against Slovakia and the rest of the season because of ankle ligament damage.
Bruce has sympathy for the player's plight.
“Unfortunately it feels like it’s never-ending. It’s disappointing for Ciaran because he’s done very well."
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
