Better safe than sorry. Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Man United cancels friendly after Stoke City player tests positive for COVID-19

Manchester United's friendly versus Championship side Stoke City was canceled on Tuesday after a Stoke player tested positive for COVID-19.

Players across English football are routinely tested, with the Premier League still targeting June 17 for the restart of its season that's been on hold since March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As ESPN's Rob Dawson wrote, Stoke players had already traveled separately to United's Carrington training base when they were made aware of the positive test. United players instead completed an inter-squad match.

Tottenham Hotspur, scheduled to face United on June 19, recently held a similar scrimmage. Arsenal played Charlton Athletic in a friendly over the weekend.

Last week, Spurs were the only top-flight club to register a positive coronavirus test as part of a full Premier League round of testing. That person's identity was kept confidential.  

Per Dawson, none of the league's 1,195 tests completed on June 4 and June 5 returned a positive result. 

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST
Lonzo Ball shares eye-opening details about his knee injury
Jets QB Aaron Rodgers insists focus has been football, not politics
Hurricanes general manager steps down, leaving front office in flux
Travis Kelce echoes Patrick Mahomes in response to controversial kicker
Cowboys QB Trey Lance details how he has changed since 49ers stint
Historic NCAA settlement reached allowing schools to pay players
Celtics dominate Pacers in Game 2, take 2-0 ECF lead
Cavaliers fire head coach J.B. Bickerstaff
Connor McDavid's 2OT goal gives Oilers win over Stars in Game 1
Rob Manfred hints at big change coming to MLB
Scottie Scheffler arrest case takes another weird turn with new video
QB Russell Wilson believes Steelers can 'do something special'
Pacers star suffers injury in ugly Game 2 loss
Watch: Jaylen Brown's big second quarter lifts Celtics to halftime lead
Broncos HC Sean Payton raves about one QB's progress at OTAs
North Carolina basketball snags instant-impact player via transfer portal
Rams GM shares details about Stetson Bennett’s absence
Perpetual Bulls trade candidate once more hitting the rumor mill
MLB announces host venues for 2026 World Baseball Classic
Knicks marquee trade acquisition could bolt in free agency

Want more sports news?

Join the hundreds of thousands of fans who start their day with Yardbarker's Morning Bark, the best newsletter in sports.