Morecambe manager Stephen Robinson will miss his side’s visit to Tottenham in the FA Cup third round on Sunday after testing positive for Covid-19.
The League One side will be hopeful of upsetting Antonio Conte’s men on their own turf. Spurs are huge favourites to progress but the Londoners will likely rest their star players and Morecambe could capitalise.
But losing their manager at such short notice – as confirmed in a club statement on Saturday morning – is undoubtedly a blow for the Shrimpers, who currently sit 19th in the third tier of English football.
Without Robinson, Morecambe could lack the necessary instructions to cause what would be a huge FA Cup upset. His absence is also a shame on a personal level, as not many lower league managers will get the chance to lead a team out at a stadium like Tottenham’s.
In any case, Spurs will go into this one expecting a comfortable victory and a relatively easy pathway to the fourth round. The only worry is that Morecambe could be extra motivated to win for their manager.
Of course, the most important thing is Robinson’s health – hopefully he is already on the road to recovery.