POLICE are investigating after Connah's Quay Nomads' manager said he had to "turn a blind eye" to players feeling unwell ahead of the club's Europa League clash with Dinamo Tbilisi.

Following Thursday night's slender 1-0 defeat to the Georgian side, Nomads manager Andy Morrison appeared to suggest the club ignored the fact three players were feeling unwell.

Prior to the game, it was revealed that three Nomads players had tested positive for coronavirus and were self-isolating.

In an interview after the game, Morrison said: “Three lads have turned up tonight and they’re not well.

"And it’s like ‘lads, I don’t want to hear it. I can’t hear it tonight that you’re ill… let’s just get through it’.

“I’ve been told that before the game and we’ve had to turn a blind eye to it and then you would have never noticed that anyone there tonight wasn’t feeling great.”

However, the club says his comments have been misconstrued to mean he was referring to players displaying symptoms of Covid-19, which is "categorically untrue".

The Nomads state that "a number of players had suffered from isolated pre-match upset stomach and headaches" likely down to "nerves due to being thrust into the starting lineup of such a high profile fixture".

North Wales Police says it is "aware" of the "public concern" around the match.

A spokesperson for the force said: "We have been working closely with partners in the local authority, the Football Association of Wales and Public Health Wales to ensure the matter in fully investigated and appropriate action is taken to maintain and secure public safety.

"Our colleagues in Public Health Wales will lead this work and NWP will continue to support them in any way we can."

A Connah's Quay Nomads club statement said: "Ahead of kick off, it was public knowledge that we had received three positive Covid tests with one additional player showing symptoms with all four being immediately self-isolated. "On Thursday, our backroom staff worked diligently alongside Public Health Wales, FAW and UEFA to ensure that the fixture would go ahead with all three governing bodies acknowledging that the club had followed all required protocol.

"This included all of our available matchday squad and staff completing the industry recognised Benchmark54 App before midday of the game which asks an 11 question questionnaire regarding health and Covid symptoms - all of these came back negative. Additionally, everyone was temperature checked upon arrival at the stadium.

"In a post-match interview with various media outlets, manager, Andy Morrison used the term "turned a blind eye" which has unfortunately been misconstrued by many to mean that as a club we ignored Covid regulations.

"We would like to go on record and say that this is categorically untrue and that what the manager was referring to was a number of players who may not have played had we had a fully fit squad.

"Morrison clarified this in a tweet on his own personal Twitter account, indicating that a number of players had suffered from isolated pre-match upset stomach and headaches likely down to nerves due to being thrust into the starting lineup of such a high profile fixture."