Hudson-Odoi making great progress in coronavirus recovery, says Lampard

Frank Lampard says Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi has made great progress in his recovery from coronavirus.

The 19-year-old tested positive for Covid-19 last week , forcing Chelsea to close part of their training facilities.

The Blues reopened their training ground on Tuesday, but Hudson-Odoi and those who came into contact with him remain in isolation.

And Chelsea boss Lampard delivered positive news regarding the England international, whose recovery is going well.  

"I’m happy to say that in Callum’s case, he has made great progress and almost feels his usual self, which is obviously the news we all want to hear," Lampard told the club's website.

Hudson-Odoi was the first Premier League player confirmed to have contracted the virus, but many players have had to be isolated amid recent scares.

Football has ground to a halt in Europe because of the pandemic, as many governments have banned public gatherings and ordered businesses and schools to close.

Coronavirus has claimed at least 7,500 lives worldwide since the outbreak began and there have been more than 1,900 confirmed cases in the UK.

And Lampard took the time to urge people to take care of each other in such a stressful period.

"I am of course aware that not everyone can or will recover from this virus, so I urge all of the football and sporting community to continue to act responsibly and look out for the health of others," he added.

"I want to make it clear that I am no medical expert when it comes to challenging times such as these but please do take the time to call older relatives and vulnerable people who might be alone, or offer to drop round shopping if they can’t get out. Let’s make sure we all take care of each other.

"Social distancing can leave us feeling isolated, however we can continue to support each other even if that means doing it remotely.

"Of course we still don’t know when competitive football will restart, but it isn’t worth worrying about that too much at the moment. We all miss football, but right now it’s about acting responsibly and in the best interests of society. I am sure I wasn’t the only one who found myself in a strange place with no sport this weekend, but ultimately none of that matters when we consider the bigger picture."