Celtic confirm Neil Lennon and 13 players must isolate after Dubai trip

Celtic have confirmed the news in a statement

Celtic have been hit with the news that 13 of their players and two members of their coaching staff must isolate following their recent trip to Dubai. Since January 3, people arriving in Scotland from Dubai have been asked to undertake 10 days of self-isolation. The Scottish champions returned from the UAE state on Friday. Despite criticism, they have defended the reasons for the trip and had hoped that the same quarantine guidance applied to other travellers would not be relevant to them under an 'elite sports' exemption. However, after it emerged Christopher Jullien had returned a positive Covid-19 test, Celtic have now confirmed in a statement that they have been informed that 13 players, along with manager Neil Lennon and assistant John Kennedy, must now self-isolate - despite returning negative tests. The club also confirmed that Monday's Scottish Premiership fixture at home to Hibernian would go ahead. https://twitter.com/CelticFC/status/1348601475111546883 'Celtic Football Club confirmed today that Christopher Jullien has tested positive for Covid-19 and is self-isolating at home,' a club statement announced on Monday. 'We wish Christopher a speedy recovery.

'While all of the other members of the squad and backroom team have tested negative, we have been informed by the authorities that, having been deemed ‘close contacts’, Celtic manager Neil Lennon, assistant John Kennedy and 13 first-team players will be required to self-isolate on a precautionary basis as required by the current regulations. 'The Club would like to thank the Scottish FA, JRG and the Scottish Government for their assistance in managing this case. Celtic will, of course, fulfill its fixture against Hibernian this evening. '

The club reiterated its stance on their trip to Dubai in the same statement: 'These protocols have served us well in the past, as the Club has not had one positive case in our own ‘bubble’ until now. As we have already stated, Celtic’s decision to travel to Dubai for a training camp was for performance reasons. Whilst we were in Dubai, the announcements made on January 4 significantly changed the COVID landscape. 'The reality is that a case could well have occurred had the team remained in Scotland, as other cases have done in Scottish football and across UK sport in the past week.'

---