Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta believes he has recovered from coronavirus after being diagnosed with the virus around two weeks ago.
The Spaniard tested positive for coronavirus, releasing a statement on 12 March confirming he took the test after feeling poorly and received the news.
Arsenal midfielder Lucas Torreira revealed last Monday that his coach was ‘doing better’ and now Arteta has provided more positive news, saying he feels that he has recovered fully.
‘It took me three or four days to start feeling better, with more energy, to leave the symptoms behind,’ he told Spanish television station La Sexta.
‘I am very well now. I feel that I have recovered.’ The 37-year-old is hoping to return as soon as possible, but that is not going to happen in the near future, with the club’s return to training delayed.
A club statement read: ‘As a result of the current situation, we are clear it would be inappropriate and irresponsible to ask players to come back at this time. “Therefore our men’s first team, women and academy players are all remaining at home. Stay at home and save lives.’
Arteta went into details about how he came to find out he had contracted coronavirus in the days after his team had played Olympiacos on 27 February.
‘Everything happened very fast,’ he explained. ‘On Tuesday afternoon I was feeling so-so and I went to see the doctor but he wasn’t there.
‘I got a call from the board of directors after training while I was in my car and they told me that the president of Olympiacos had tested positive and everyone that had been in contact was at risk.
‘I went on to tell them that I wasn’t feeling well and that we had a situation because we had lots of players that had been in contact with them [Olympiakos].
‘We had a game against Manchester City the next day and obviously we couldn’t put lots of people at risk without saying anything.
‘I had the test done last Wednesday and I was diagnosed on Friday, when we had to communicate it to the Premier League that I had tested positive.
‘Obviously all those that had been in contact with me had to go into quarantine, and consequently, games had to be suspended.’
