International break was ‘asking for trouble and should have been called off’ believes talkSPORT’s Moose, as Premier League sees spike in COVID-19 cases

The international break should have been scrapped amid a raft of positive coronavirus cases, talkSPORT has been told.

In the latest round of Premier League testing, 16 players returned positive COVID-19 results.

This number does not even include a host of other stars who have contracted coronavirus while on international duty, including Mohamed Salah, Matt Doherty and Mohamed Elneny.

Spurs defender Doherty tested positive after lining-up against England and Wales last week.

talkSPORT reporter Ian Abrahams joined Tuesday’s Breakfast show and asked if the international break was really worth it.

The Moose said: “There were 16 positive tests yesterday from Premier League players, which is the most there has been – I think the record before was ten.

“That does not include the international players, so when the likes of Matt Doherty, Mohamed Elneny and Mo Salah – to name but three – come back from international duty and have to sit out this weekend’s games as well.

“I put on social media yesterday, and I was there to be shot at, was this really worth the risk?

“Thank goodness players who get coronavirus and test positive have all come out without a problem.

“Was it really worth the risk when there’s a global pandemic and people are testing positive without knowing they’ve got it, i.e. they are asymptomatic.

“Asking football players to be travelling two or three times in a week or ten-day period… it was just asking for trouble.

“I just looked at it yesterday and saw [Luis] Suarez and Matt Doherty and James McCLean and Mohamed Elneny, off the back of Mo Salah, and just thought ‘really?’.

“Someone will look at this in a year or two years’ time and we’ll all sit there with hindsight and think we really should have called those games off.”