Euro 2020: Why do Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell have to self-isolate but no other players on the Scotland team?
England players Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell will miss England’s final Euro 2020 group match against the Czech Republic on Tuesday evening, after coming into close contact with Scotland’s Billy Gilmour who tested positive for Covid-19.
The three players are all team-mates at Chelsea and were seen talking together after the goalless draw between the two countries at Wembley last Friday.
It is believed their conversation continued after the players left the field and headed down the tunnel, and it is there that problems are understood to have arisen.
So why are Mount and Chilwell the only players who've had to self-isolate and what Covid guidelines are the teams following?
What Covid guidelines do the FA and Scottish FA adhere to?
The FA and the Scottish FA said the decision for Mount, Chilwell and Gilmour to self-isolate for 10 days came after consultation with Public Health England (PHE).
PHE guidance states that if you have tested positive for Covid-19 or come into close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19 then you must stay at home and complete 10 full days isolation.
You must not go to work, school or public areas and not use public transport or taxis.
Mount and Chilwell will train individually in private areas at England's training base at St George's Park, the FA confirmed, and their isolation will be up to and including Monday 28 June.
The FA says it follows all Covid-19 protocols and the Uefa testing regime.
Uefa's Euro 2020 'return to play protocol' outlines that at "all matches a 1.5m physical distance must be respected at all times", however where physical distance is not possible i.e "between the opposing team players during a match" then Uefa will "implement a rigorous testing programme".
All players participating in a Uefa match together, along with coaches, assistants, physios, doctors, main contacts, press officers and match managers are tested before each match.
For the visiting team, the tests must take place before leaving their home country and for the home team, tests will take place either two days or a day prior to the match.
Why do only Mount and Chilwell have to self-isolate?
The FA say that both players were in close contact with Gilmour for 25 minutes in the tunnel area after the match on Friday night.
A FA spokesperson said: "This is longer than the recommended 15 minutes of indoor close contact. Footage has been reviewed with PHE and they have decided the players must isolate."
However, the fact that no Scotland players have been identified as close contacts of Gilmour in addition to the England pair has raised eyebrows but, with no hard definition of what close contact is, reasoned decisions have to be made by authorities involved.
Why do the pair have to self-isolate even though they provided negative lateral flow test results?
Public Health England decided that despite both Mount and Chilwell providing negative lateral flow tests on Monday, along with the rest of the England team, they would still have to self-isolate.
How have Mount and Chilwell reacted to the news?
Mount posted on his Instagram: "I'm absolutely gutted to have to miss tonight's game. I'll be cheering on the boys as usual and ensuring that I'm ready to go again when called upon...come on England."
While Chilwell said: "It's a tough one to take and I'm gutted but I want to wish the boys all the best tonight in the game, I'll be cheering you all on. I will make sure I am ready for when I can rejoin the squad. Let's go England."
What have the managers of both sides said?
England boss Gareth Southgate continued to question the reasoning behind Mount and Chilwell being forced into isolation.
Southgate told ITV: “It’s a bizarre situation really. They’ve spent 120 seconds too long in a fairly open space. It’s full of contradictions for me but we have to get on with it.
“Frankly I don’t understand it at all, there are teams travelling around by plane, coach, bus in enclosed spaces for hours. Our two boys have been pinged for something which is….I don’t get it.
“I have no issues with Steve (Clarke) or Scotland, I don’t want them to have any more issues than we have but it seems a bizarre situation.”
When asked about the coronavirus protocols, Scotland manager Steve Clarke said: “It’s not my department. My department is getting the team ready for a massive game against Croatia and that’s what I have been concentrating on.”
On Gilmour, manager Clarke said: “He’s upset, as you would expect. He has no symptoms, hopefully his health will hold up.
“Billy would have started the game and now he won’t so it’s a chance for someone else to come into the team and make themselves a national hero.”
When can Mount and Chilwell play again?
Mount and Chilwell will miss the game against the Czech Republic on Tuesday at Wembley and could also miss the out on the round of 16 too - but this depends on where England finish in Group D and therefore when the next fixture falls.