Nuno's side face Southampton in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Thursday night and he has suggested he could provide some ideas for bettering the current guidelines – which he claims are "very tricky" at present.

Football has been in the spotlight in recent weeks as Covid cases began to rise around the country ahead of the current national lockdown – with players told not to hug when celebrating goals.

Nuno was keen to acknowledge those involved in elite sport know they are privileged to continue working during the coronavirus pandemic but wants to address the rules.

"There are many issues, but I will not discuss with you, because can be a misinterpretation of the situation," he said when asked about the problems.

"I'd rather use the proper channels, to try and address people and understand that we have a team to prepare, we have players that need special attention and we have a need of being together, we are in need of meetings and we are being tested, (every) two days.

"So if I'm not comfortable with the people that I work really close on a daily basis, it's hard to keep preparing yourself.

"The protocols are very tricky and I think in the right moment everybody will talk about that. But what's happening is really difficult.

"We are delighted to keep on working, to compete and allow people to see the games on TV – but at the same time some things are really difficult to overcome."

Nuno pointed to the difficulty in holding regular team meetings as an example of the day to day issues the protocols cause and will look to present his ideas to the relevant authorities.

"We have a small list that I will try to pass on and we will try and address together but I am positive, I am sure that is not only with us. All the teams are facing the same problems," he added.

"I think there are easy solutions for them and I don't want to make a case of protesting it is not the point – there are easy solutions to the things they don't allow us to do so I think a proper meeting will help them to understand.

"I give an example, we need meetings but when you speak to your players you don't want them to be two metres apart from each other – how can you transmit the feeling of togetherness of unity if we are in a room of 50 and all metres away from each other.

"Eating together, all these things, I know we must transmit an example to society and with no celebrations and all these things but there are easy solutions for all this and I will try and pass them to the proper people."

Written by
P A