Bubble burst: Wales send three home for covid rule breaking

March 30 – Three of the Welsh squad preparing for tonight’s all-important World Cup qualifier against the Czech Republic have been sent home for breaching Covid-19 rules.

Hal Robson-Kanu, Tyler Roberts and Rabbi Matondo have all been dismissed though the Football Association of Wales (FAW) did not specify the nature of the breach and will not make any further comment.

None of the three were expected to start but  might have featured from the bench.

Leeds United forward Roberts gave a hint of what he had done when apologising.

“Gutted to be leaving the camp early, but rules are rules and I shouldn’t have been up in the hotel later than the set time,” he said. “Sorry to the team, staff and Wales fans.”

Matondo’s omission from the squad came a day after police confirmed they are investigating racial abuse against him following Saturday’s 1-0 win in a friendly against Mexico

Welsh skipper Gareth Bale says he would be in support of a mass boycott of social media to “make a statement” against discrimination.

“If everybody did it at once, not just one or two people, and if we did a campaign with a lot of big influential people in sport and other forms of life came off social media to make a statement, then yeah, I think it could help,” Bale said. “If that was the case, I would be all for that.”

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