Liverpool temporarily close training ground as COVID cases rise

Liverpool have temporarily closed their training ground because of a rapidly growing number of suspected COVID-19 infections at the club, the team said on Wednesday, a day before the first leg of their League Cup semi-final match away to Arsenal.

Liverpool said they took the decision after the latest round of COVID-19 tests, with assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders among those suspected of having the novel coronavirus.

Lijnders took charge of the team in Sunday's 2-2 Premier League draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, when manager Juergen Klopp was isolating after a positive COVID-19 test.

"The decision was made after consultation with the relevant Public Health authority," Liverpool said in a statement. "The new cases are in addition to those recorded on Monday and Tuesday morning."

Liverpool asked the English Football League on Tuesday to reschedule Thursday's match against Arsenal because of the rise in COVID-19 cases at the club.

Alisson Becker, Roberto Firmino and Joel Matip returned positive tests on Sunday. Virgil van Dijk, Thiago Alcantara, Fabinho and Curtis Jones were forced into isolation last month.

The United Kingdom reported 218,724 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, a new record for the number of cases reported on a single day in Britain.