Arsenal's London Colney training center has been closed after head coach Mikel Arteta received a positive coronavirus (COVID-19) result, the club announced in a statement on Thursday. The club said Arsenal personnel who had recent close contact with Mikel will now self-isolate in line with government health guidelines. "We expect this to be a significant number of people from Colney, including the full first-team squad and coaching staff, as well as a smaller number of people from our Hale End Academy which we have also temporarily closed as a precaution." The club assured that the Colney and Hale End training centers will undergo a deep clean and our other club sites are operating as normal, expecting those who did not have close contact with Mikel to return to work in the coming days. Managing Director Vinai Venkatesham said: "The health of our people and the wider public is our priority and that is where our focus is. Our thoughts are with Mikel who is disappointed but in good spirits. "We are in active dialogue with all the relevant people to manage this situation appropriately, and we look forward to getting back to training and playing as soon as medical advice allows." Head of football Raul Sanllehi added: "Mikel and the full first-team squad, players and staff, will be fully supported, and we look forward to getting back to training and playing as soon as medical advice allows. Obviously Mikel's full recovery is the priority now for us all." The club will work with Public Health England on the next steps in regard to the facilities and staff, and with the Premier League, Football Association and relevant clubs around the forthcoming matches in the Premier League and Emirates FA Cup, according to the statement. "It is clear we will not be able to play some fixtures on their currently scheduled dates. We will update supporters who have tickets for forthcoming games with more information as soon as possible," the club added. On his part, Arteta said: "This is really disappointing but I took the test after feeling poorly. I will be at work as soon as I'm allowed." The club is working to trace any other people who have had recent close contact with Arteta. — SG
