Oxford boss calls for harsher sanctions for Covid rule breakers | Bristol Rovers to take measures 'to the extreme' ahead of potential Portsmouth clash

Pompey are the latest side to be hit with Covid cases in League One, with Jack Whatmough and two other senior players testing positive.

It means the Blues' fixture with Swindon on Boxing Day has been plunged into doubt.

Ipswich, Sunderland, Bristol Rovers and Peterborough also have positive cases in their respective camps – although the EFL has no current plans to suspend the season.

Oxford were due to play Bristol Rovers last Saturday but the clash was scrapped.

Now Robinson believes teams who fail to adhere to rules should be hit with a points deducation.

He told the Oxford Mail: ‘When you have people who travel on coaches and stay in hotels when they know they’ve got Covid, at some stage points (deductions) have to be put in front of managers if they do the protocols wrong.

‘If I have a meeting with everyone in one room and someone tests positive, that’s my fault.

‘If we have every single player in the gym at one time, that’s my fault.

‘We’re in different dressing rooms, we sit in different seats and everyone’s socially-distanced while they’re eating.

‘Our training protocol has to change because of how close people are for a period of time. We’re constantly checking that.

‘We spend money on testing the second someone has a little cold and there’s other teams that don’t and get away with it.

‘The fine will come next season – something has to change.’

Meanwhile, Rovers manager Paul Tisdale will keep social distancing ‘to the extreme’ when they return to training on Wednesday.

The Gas have had several positive cases, causing games with Charlton and Oxford to be postponed.

All players have been following government guidelines and been self-isolating.

Pompey are due to play Rovers on December 29 but that game is also in doubt.

Speaking to the Bristol Post, Tisdale said: ‘It was three or four (positive tests) and like I say we’re waiting on a few more tests,” Tisdale said.

‘No-one, fortunately, has been very ill, but a positive test is a positive test.

‘What we have done is follow every protocol. The whole club is locked down, nobody’s been in and nobody’s been to the training ground or to the Mem.

‘Everybody has kept their distance and we’ve done all the cleansing and fogging to clear all the offices. We’ve done everything we’ve needed to do, and we’re all very keen to get back on Wednesday.

‘We will probably keep our distance to the extreme on Wednesday and the training days leading up to Boxing Day as well, because even though we will be back at work we will go beyond what we need to do just to keep our distance and prevent it happening again.”

‘It sounds over-precious, but it’s something we’re very aware of. We have to be very careful going back into training.

‘It’s also focus and rhythm. It doesn’t affect their overall strength or deep reservoir of fitness as a professional athlete, but it does affect their rhythm, it does affect their physical focus and it’s not perfect by any stretch of the imagination.

‘But over the course of the year every club will have their own challenges and issues. We’re just navigating through ours at the moment.’