Cox gearing up for Kettering Town's return after tussle with Covid

Paul Cox is gearing up for Kettering Town’s return to action on Saturday as the squad comes out of their tussle with Covid-19.

The manager was one of a number of members of the playing squad and backroom staff who tested positive for the virus and resulted in their Vanarama National League North campaign coming to a temporary standstill while they also had to withdraw from the Emirates FA Cup.

The Poppies were due to be back in training this evening (Tuesday) and, having had first-hand experience of the virus, Cox has warned that it may take a bit of time before everyone is back at peak fitness.

Kettering are due to host Bradford Park Avenue at Latimer Park this weekend and when asked about his own experience of the virus, Cox said: “I am good now. I wasn’t too good in the early stages with the way it hits you.

“I probably did a bit more sleeping than I normally do and I guess that’s just one way you recover. It’s not a nice virus when you get it and I am glad I am over the worst of it now.

“I think I’ve become a bit of a Covid celebrity to be honest because people around where I live have said that I am the first person they have known to have got it.

“And I have just said to them that they don’t want it.

“Clearly, it affects different people in different ways but there were quite a few in our camp who have had it.

“It’s now a question of how quickly we can get back up to 100 per cent fitness wise.

“As far as I am concerned, we will be playing on Saturday.

“We are back tonight and it’s a matter now of us getting on with it.

“As a club, we have been hit by it and we know others have as well but as I look around now and I see infection rates going up, we are probably going to have plan for the possibility that it affects us again and we have to show the due diligence and make sure we continue to follow all the protocols.

“I thought the club were excellent in how they dealt with it in that period, especially with the dignity they showed in us having to withdraw from the FA Cup which obviously wasn’t very nice for anyone.

“We are getting bodies back but I think it will be a period of time before we really get everyone back 100 per cent fit and that, in turn, will affect performance levels and we could probably see an erraticness in results.

“We are also seeing players’ wives and families coming down with symptoms and the rules are you have to self-isolate until they test negative.

“So there are all these guidelines that we are sticking to and it’s tough, it’s the strangest scenario I have ever had to deal with in football.

“It’s a bit surreal and strange working in this environment but what we have got to do is get on with it, be as professional as we can and adhere to all the rules.

“But we will have to be aware that we will be without some people.”