Big Sam On Swine Flu Virus

Last updated : 26 October 2009 By Andy

With two members of staff also suffering with the virus, that means there are five struck down altogether, but the game with Peterborough goes ahead.

Allardyce confirmed: "We've had one more case this morning, one more player and there are a couple of staff."

David Dunn and Chris Samba were missing from the starting line up at Chelsea on Saturday, Big Sam refused to confirm the names of the players but did say: "It's definitely swine flu - you've speculated on the names and I'll leave it at that.

"The Premier League has tried to sit on the fence by saying that we didn't request to have the game called off.

"We knew we couldn't get the game called off because we were told way back in February or March when we took some guidelines that unless there was some government legislation, everybody had to do whatever they had to do.

"If there was a swine flu outbreak, you couldn't call a game off, no matter what.

"We fulfilled our responsibility by confirming two cases of swine flu and suggesting that it looks like one or two other players and members of staff had similar symptoms - and we made the same phone call to Chelsea.

"It's a highly contagious strain as everybody knows but I can't comment any further than that."