The club has confirmed that Matt Beard has contracted the virus.
Liverpool announced that Matt Beard, manager of Liverpool Women, has tested positive for Covid-19. This news comes the day before the team’s preseason friendly against Manchester United. Beard will be in isolation for the time being, and in his place will be assistant manager Amber Whiteley.
The club released a statement regarding this situation:
“Manager Matt Beard will not be with the team for the 12pm BST pre-season friendly after returning a positive COVID-19 test. He is undergoing a period of isolation before returning to the squad next week.
“An extra round of rigorous testing has ensured all other LFC Women backroom staff and players are safe to take part in the game, as the team continue to build up to their FA Women’s Championship opener against London City Lionesses on Sunday August 29.”
As of right now, Beard is the only person in the club who has tested positive. However, preseason has been underway, so it’s possible that we will see more cases crop up due to Beard’s proximity. It’s unknown if Beard has contracted the more contagious Delta variant of the virus, nor do we know the numbers in terms of how many players and staff have been vaccinated.
Regardless, preseason must continue, despite this hiccough, and Liverpool will take on Manchester United as planned on Sunday. It is a shame that Beard will miss the chance to manage a game against the old rivals, since it will likely be the last one for a while, since Liverpool currently sit in the Championship.
