Luther Singh has revealingly said that he “doesn’t feel safe as yet”‚ despite the extensive health precautions his Portuguese club Moreirense have taken returning to training in line with guidelines for the Primeira Liga to resume on June 4.
South Africa Under-23 striker Singh‚ on loan at Moreirense from Sporting Braga‚ has recovered from a leg bone fracture that kept him out from December‚ and has begun training under the phased format for Portuguese top-flight clubs in anticipation of a return to play next month.
“We started training a week ago – last week Monday‚” Singh said.
“First of all we did a test to see if everyone was OK [not coronavirus-positive] – and everyone was good.
“Then we started training in groups of four‚ where everyone would train different hours.
"We’ve done that until today‚ where each coach has a certain time to work with just four players.
“You already are in your kit going to training‚ ready to train. You just take your boots with you and go with your mask.
“We sanitise and clean our hands‚ first of all. They give us the plastic gloves and the mask to be on the safe side.
“They’re just trying to keep us on the safe side where you get to training prepared‚ you don’t shower at training‚ and then you leave and you shower at your house.”
Singh said despite such extensive precautions taken‚ he does not feel completely protected from the Covid-19 disease yet.
“I feel like I don’t feel safe as yet‚ because some people can get coronavirus without symptoms‚” the 22-year-old told an online press conference of the SA Football Journalists Association (Safja).
“For me‚ when I go to training I feel like I’m OK‚ and the next minute I feel like I’m not OK.
“But I mean‚ I haven’t heard of anyone who has it‚ or seen anyone who has it. For me‚ I go to training‚ and I do what I have to do. I go home and stay in the lockdown.
“ … Me staying at home‚ it’s much better – I feel safer. I go to training‚ I do my thing‚ and then I come home.
“So I feel like I’m safe because I’m doing the right thing. I’m following the instructions they gave us from the club and the government and the president.”
Portugal has begun reopening from its lockdown from Covid-19 having earned recognition for a response to the disease that has seen over 27‚000 cases and more than 1‚100 deaths – numbers far fewer than many European countries‚ and far better than Iberian neighbours Spain.
Daily new cases have droppped from a high of just over 1‚500 on April 10 to just over 200 in early May.
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