Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has shared his personal fears of COVID-19 infection as the virus wreaks havoc on his squad.
Eight first-team players have tested positive for coronavirus ahead of Thursday's UEFA Europa Conference League game with Rennes.
Five members of Conte's backroom team have also contracted the virus, and talks are underway with the Premier League about potentially postponing Sunday's game with Brighton.
"The problem is that everyday we are having people with Covid," Conte told a press conference on Wednesday, "People that yesterday weren't positive, today were positive and we continue to have contact with people we think are negative but the day after become positive."
The former Juventus and Italy boss admitted the situation at the club is "a serious problem".
The Rennes game will go ahead, but more leeway is available to Premier League sides suffering from COVID-19 outbreaks.
Conte added, "Everyday we are having positives. Today one player and one member of staff.
"I think the worst is we don't know and we continue to have contact with people that the day before weren't negative.
"For sure this is not a good situation. We have a training session to prepare for the game against Rennes, but it's very difficult.
"At the end of the training session today, again one player positive. Another member of staff is positive. Tomorrow who? Me? Another player? Another member of staff? And we continue in this way."
Six Premier League matches were postponed last season due to coronavirus-related reasons.
Spurs have already seen one Premier League game bite the dust, with Turf Moor snow forcing the postponement of a meeting with Burnley nearly a fortnight ago.
Conte is unhappy with the uncertainty that the new Omicron variant has thrown into the season.
"I think that I haven’t [got] to send a message to anyone because the situation is very clear and it is the situation I repeat... every day, every day we are having contact with the people that are false negative and become positive and then everyone is a bit scared, I think because we all have family and why I have to take this risk?" he asked.
"Why? This is my question. Today we had the training session, we prepared the game and yesterday two other positives, today two other positives and tomorrow, who? Me? I don’t know. Maybe.
"Better me than a player for sure but I think that it is not right for everyone because we have family and we have contact with them when we come back home we have contact with our family.
"But I repeat and it’s a pity that today during the press conference I have to speak about a different situation not football because football is the most important thing in a press conference but today to speak about football is impossible, it's impossible.
"There are situations that made me very, very upset, very upset because the situation is serious and it is contagious and there is a big infection and now for sure we are a bit scared because tomorrow we don’t know what happens."
The Club Championship Show | Slaughtneil’s Tina Bradley and hurling with Donnchadh Boyle
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.
