Southampton’s Danny Ings set to miss Leicester game after positive COVID-19 test

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl confirmed that talismanic striker Danny Ings tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus following Saints’ 1-0 victory over Premier League champions Liverpool last week.

Ings scored the brilliant winning goal in that game against his former club on 4 January but has had to self-isolate since his positive test that followed.

According to Hasenhuttl in pre-match press conference, Ings could return to training with the Saints squad on Friday if he submits a negative coronavirus test after his self-isolation period.

However, it’s expected he will not be playing any part of Southampton’s visit to the King Power Stadium to take on Leicester City on Saturday night.

“After the last game against Liverpool, we had one positive test,” Hasenhuttl said. “Danny Ings has been out now for 10 days in self-isolation.

“That meant that in this [Liverpool] game maybe also he was contagious. I think it’s 48 hours before a positive test you can be [infected] and we had no further positive tests so far.

“And that means our protocols we are sticking to and our guidelines we really follow them and are very disciplined are definitely good, and when you stick to these guidelines then you can also work like we do it every day together, celebrate together.

“We did it after the Liverpool game, we did it in the game and I think this is the answer enough. You never know but this showed me when you stick to the protocols that you have [you can] control the risk.”

So far in the 2020/21 Premier League season, Ings has scored seven goals and notched three assists for Southampton.