Promotion rivals Doncaster and Peterborough send Portsmouth messages after quartet test positive for coronavirus

Yesterday morning it was revealed that James Bolton, Andy Cannon and Sean Raggett had all contracted the Covid-19 outbreak.

Later in the afternoon, the Blues announced Haji Mnoga has also caught the virus.

The quartet are now in self-isolation while English football is suspended until April 30.

Kenny Jackett’s men sit fourth in the League One table and firmly have automatic promotion in their sights when the season eventually does restart.

Sixth-placed Peterborough and ninth-placed Doncaster also have designs on reaching the Championship ahead of Pompey.

But during the shutdown, they have put the wellbeing of Pompey’s players first and the promotion race second.

Peterborough chairman Darragh MacAnthony, whose side beat the Blues 2-0 on March 7, wrote on Twitter: ‘Hope they will all be fine. Amazed all our players tested week after playing them didn’t have any positive results. Anyhow get well soon to 3 who tested positive’

Doncaster also tweeted out their message before Mnoga’s case had been confirmed.

A message from Donny’s Twitter account read: ‘Best wishes to the three @Pompey players and their families - the football family is united as one at this time of global emergency. Greetings all round.’