Absent Players An Integrity Risk

Cleverley: Prem undermined if more stars pull out over virus

- Tom Hopkinson

Tom Cleverley reckons the Premier League’s integrity will be called into question if clubs lose big players like Watford’s Troy Deeney for the run-in over their coronavirus concerns.

After the withdrawal from training of Deeney and Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante, former Liverpool and England star Jamie Redknapp claimed last week that if other players follow suit it could lead to an “unfair competition”.

And Watford midfielder Cleverley (above, right) said: “I saw what Jamie was talking about and it makes sense.

“If five or six of your players are missing through personal circumstances, it’s going to hit hard – and it will affect the integrity of the competition.