Claudio Ranieri says all footballers should be vaccinated against Covid-19

The Watford manager has called on all players to have the vaccine ahead of the bust festive period

Watford manager Claudio Ranieri has said he believes all players should be vaccinated to help the fight against Covid-19. Football continues to be affected by the Covid-19 situation, as highlighted by events at Tottenham this week. Eight of Spurs' first-team players and five members of staff tested positive for the virus, leading to the postponement of their Europa Conference League game with Rennes and the Premier League meeting with Brighton on Sunday. Antonio Conte admitted on Wednesday that he had been "scared" by the outbreak and the impact it could have on his squad and their family members. Speaking the next day, Ranieri said players need to ensure they are doing all they can to protect themselves. "I think the more important thing is all the players must be vaccinated, because we play every three days now and meet a lot of players," the former Leicester and Chelsea manager said. "It is important, the vaccine, because if something happens with the vaccine it is very slow - without the vaccine, it is a big risk. "I understand Conte and I hope here in Watford everything continues to be okay. "Of course I have to respect everybody, but they must know that we stay together and if they then come (with the virus), they can infect someone, so it is important that everybody must be vaccinated." Ranieri's comments came on the same day it emerged that Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich will be sidelined for the the remainder of the year after testing positive for Covid two weeks ago. In a statement posted to the German champions' website, Kimmich explained that he is fine but unable to play due to a lung infection. The German international made headlines in October after confirming he hadn't received his vaccinations against coronavirus due to reservations he had over the vaccines. His stance was heavily criticised by public health experts and several other influential figures. Related links:

• Tottenham confirm Premier League game against Brighton postponed due to covid outbreak
• Tottenham confirm game against Rennes postponed due to covid outbreak
• Joshua Kimmich confirms he won’t play until 2022 due to lung infection