Frank Lampard admits he is concerned about football in England continuing while the COVID-19 crisis escalates.
On Friday, London's mayor, Sadiq Khan, declared a "major incident" in the capital as hospitals face rising numbers of patients.
The English football authorities are carrying out regular tests on players and club staff, and the number of positive cases is rising, with 40 declared in the Premier League for last week.
Lampard said none of those were Chelsea players but confirmed "a small number of staff" with the London club had tested positive recently.
Sunday will see Chelsea welcome fourth-tier outfit Morecambe to Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup third round, with the visitors having recently had to postpone two games because of coronavirus cases in their ranks.
Chelsea head coach Lampard was asked about possible worries, and said: "Not just about playing Morecambe, but I do have concerns because of the current climate.
"We haven't had any players positive in the last couple of rounds – we have had a small number of staff.
"Of course, whilst the country is in lockdown for a reason, while football carries on for a reason, it means there's lots of mixing going on.
"We have to be ultra-careful. I'm not completely comfortable but we have to toe the line, we have to keep playing.
"The safety must come first. There are lots of moving parts and things are changing day by day, week by week."
Burnley boss Sean Dyche this week floated the idea that if footballers were vaccinated, it would lead to savings on testing and such money could be ploughed into the National Health Service.
Lampard said, as Dyche did, that footballers should not be seen to be jumping the queue ahead of those in most need.
He said: "Maybe there's a time down the line when we look at sports but I don't think it's that time right now."
Chelsea will be without the injured Reece James, Andreas Christensen and N'Golo Kante for the Morecambe game, and Lampard is considering giving a first-team chance to a number of academy players.
Lampard's team have lost 3-1 to both Arsenal and Manchester City, either side of a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa, in a Premier League slump over the past fortnight.
Previous defeats in mid-December to Everton and Wolves have also played a part in them falling away from being challengers near the top of the table to sitting in ninth place.
They face a fourth-tier side who have won six of their previous seven games, yet this is Morecambe's fourth appearance in the third round of the cup, and they have lost each of their previous games at this stage without scoring.
Chelsea's last third-round defeat in the competition came in 1997-98, when they lost to Manchester United.
Lampard said the challenge of returning his team to peak form "makes my job more exciting".
He accepts "confidence has been hit" and said: "The players need a lift. That's my job, the staff's job, and their job. I don't know any way out of a lack of confidence but to sprint yourself out of it and fight yourself out of it, because those are the rules of football."
He was reminded about Chelsea being stunned 4-2 by Bradford City in the fourth round in January 2015 and said: "Underdogs will turn up, try to win and make things difficult for you.
"Considering our current form, we have to be even more on guard and worry about ourselves, and get ourselves playing well, because if we play well and do our job right, we'll win the game I believe."
Sunshine Snacks inks three-year sponsorship deal with Jamaica Premier League
Sunshine Snacks, a leading regional snack brand, has announced a landmark 3-year sponsorship agreement with the Jamaica Premier League (JPL).
As part of this partnership, Sunshine Snacks will also become the designated club sponsor for Montego Bay United, a team with a storied legacy and a strong presence in Jamaican football.
This collaboration underscores Sunshine Snacks’ commitment to fostering growth and success across the Jamaica Premier League while providing critical support to Montego Bay United as they focus on rebuilding and achieving sustained success.
Shantell Hill-Afonso, Marketing Manager, Jamaica for Sunshine Snacks, shared her enthusiasm.
"We at Sunshine Snacks are thrilled to partner with the Jamaica Premier League and Montego Bay United, currently performing well in the league. Montego Bay has always been a focus for us as a brand, which made this sponsorship a perfect fit. This partnership goes beyond branding; it is about nurturing talent, impacting lives, and building stronger communities through football. With our offices located in Montego Bay, this collaboration allows us to support the team on and off the field, creating meaningful connections in the community," Hill-Afonso said.
"We’re also excited to bring Sunshine Snacks products to all Jamaica Premier League matches, creating a fun and engaging experience for fans. Football and snacks go hand in hand, and products like our Sunshine Peanuts will refuel everyone. This partnership allows us to connect with communities across Jamaica in a way that is both meaningful and enjoyable," she added.
Neymar should have won five Ballons d'Or, claims Buffon
Neymar should have won the Ballon d'Or five times, so says Gianluigi Buffon.
Italy great Buffon played alongside Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain for a season in 2018-19.
Neymar joined PSG in a world-record transfer from Barcelona in 2017, but was unable to drive the French club to their maiden Champions League trophy.
He left in 2023 to join Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, but has hardly featured for the Asian giants. He is back on the sidelines due to a hamstring issue, having only just returned from a year-long lay-off after sustaining an anterior crucial ligament (ACL) injury.
Neymar was tipped for greatness when he moved to Europe from Santos, but despite a glittering career, especially at Barcelona, he never has managed to win the Ballon d'Or.
And that is something that upsets his former club-mate Buffon.
"It's hard to pick a rival," Buffon told Corriere della Sera
"I've played against three generations: Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Andres Iniesta… Choose one? Neymar.
"For the player he is and the person he is, he should have won five Ballons d'Or."
Even at PSG, Neymar was often overshadowed by Kylian Mbappe.
When Messi joined that deadly duo in 2021, meanwhile, the trio could not have the impact on the European stage that PSG's Qatari owners would have wished for.
Palestine hold South Korea as Japan down China in World Cup qualifying
Son Heung-min scored but South Korea were held to a 1-1 draw by Palestine in World Cup qualifying on Tuesday.
Tottenham forward Son netted in the 16th minute at Amman International Stadium in Jordan.
That came four minutes after Palestine had taken the lead through Zeid Qunbar.
Yet South Korea could not build on that momentum. Despite finishing with 15 shots, they accumulated only 0.84 expected goals (xG).
South Korea, who are six points clear in qualification Group B, had five shots on target, with Son having four of them, as Palestine held on for a memorable result.
In Group C, Japan consolidated their lead with a 3-1 defeat of China in Xiamen.
Koki Ogawa scored twice, opening the scoring and netting Japan's third.
Ko Itakura put Japan 2-0 up on the stroke of half-time, with Lin Liangming pulling one back for China early in the second half.
The match was briefly disrupted as some spectators ran onto the pitch.
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