TWO Down senior players are isolating after they tested positive for Covid-19. The pair will play no part in training until the middle of next week but - since they had no close contact with the rest of the squad - Paddy Tally's panel will continue to meet in preparation for the resumption of the inter-county season on October 17.
"The two players are taking all the precautions and they are out of commission for the period (10 days) that has been determined by the Public Health Authority," Down County Board chairman Jack Devaney confirmed.
"No-one else within the squad has been determined as being in close contact with them and nobody else has tested positive, so the squad can continue to train.
"They showed some symptoms and then went and got tested but they are both well, there are no major issues over their health. There's no reason to think that they won't come back into the squad once the quarantine timeframe has expired."
The GAA confirmed last night that the National Leagues will be completed meaning that Down return to action in Division Three against Leitrim on October 17 and then play round seven against Louth in Drogheda on October 25. The Mournemen are currently third on seven points, level with second-placed Longford who have a superior points difference. However, the midlanders still have to play leaders Cork and Derry so winning both of their games could see the Mournemen clinch promotion to Division Two.
"We wouldn't want to be in a situation where we had a significant number of players ruled out for those games," Devaney added.
"A person's health and public health come first and are more important than what happens in terms of football but we are quite fortunate that the impact (to the Down squad) has been minimal here beyond the players who have been affected directly.
"We're still looking forward to getting back into action."
