Hatters boss: We won't force our players to get the Covid-19 vaccination despite Plan B restrictions being imposed

Luton boss Nathan Jones has confirmed that none of his players will be forced to get the Covid-19 vaccine despite the country going into Plan B restrictions in the coming days.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated yesterday that with numbers of the Omicron variant rising, the work from home order will be reintroduced on Monday, while mandatory faces marks are now to be worn at 'most public indoor venues'.

From next Wednesday, those attending venues with more than 10,000 people present will need an NHS Covid Pass showing their vaccination status or a recent negative lateral flow test to gain entry to.

That would apply to crowds heading to Championship games, and the players as well, but Jones admitted his squad have to make the decision by themselves about whether to get vaccinated or not.

He said: “We know how many have had the first one (jab) and had the second one, we do know, but that’s a private matter.

"It’s not something I’m going to come out and say because in terms of it’s a real touchy subject.

“Some people have an opinion on what it is, and especially with the social media world that we live in at the minute, that can get out and suddenly people can be victimised or criticised, either way.

"So that’s a private matter and it's about the individual, not just about what we would like as a club.

“It’s the individual’s choice, we can’t force anyone to do that, it’s a lifestyle choice.

“We can control a lot about what they do here, in terms of what they eat in and around here, how they train, we advise them on sleep and everything.

"On vaccinations we can have an opinion on it, but we never force anyone to do anything, because that’s a lifestyle choice.

"We do encourage very vociferously they don’t smoke and drink alcohol 48 hours before a game and that is something that we will fine them on, but anything else is a lifestyle that they have to find their own path on.”

With Tottenham Hotspur seeing their Europa Conference League game against Rennes called off due to the club having eight players and five members of staff contracted the virus, Jones revealed the Hatters had altered their Christmas celebrations to try and avoid any positive cases.

He continued: “Everything’s okay here, obviously we’ve got to be very diligent because of the new variant and it’s the crowding round, hugging season as well, so we’ve got to be very careful.

"We’ve asked everyone to be diligent, we had a Christmas party planned and it’s kind of changed it.

"It went a little bit more low key, with dinner, so you have to be diligent these days.”

However, Jones didn't think that despite worries over the new variant, there should be any need for reduced capacities at football stadiums, having gone virtually a full season where crowds weren't allowed to attend last term.

He added: "I hope not as we’ve managed to get to this point and controlling the virus.

"It's a new variant that I’m very aware of, but I think if people have Covid passes, if people do lateral flow tests, they can be let into grounds, there’s no reason why they shouldn't be.

"We have to live with this virus as its mutating constantly, so if we’re constantly shutting down things then were going to have a fearful world full of Covid running it.

"Now if the people who are running it are sensible, they think about it and they're sensible in terms of things they do, then there's ways you can do this.

"Humans have to be sensible as well, but the last thing we need is to have another lockdown or to shut things down, because it's not needed.

"Yes it's growing and there's a few more cases, but we have to learn to control that and I don't know the numbers, but I'm not sure it's as potent in terms of death, especially with the vaccine being rolled out, so I think it's something we have to live with."