Portsmouth: Five players now recovered after testing positive for coronavirus

Defender James Bolton has played 31 games for Portsmouth since joining them last summer

Five Portsmouth players who tested positive for coronavirus have all made a full recovery.

James Bolton, Sean Raggett, Andy Cannon, Haji Mnoga and Rangers loanee Ross McCrorie contracted mild symptoms.

Bolton admits he was fortunate to self-isolate at home with his girlfriend, rather than return to his parents.

“People really have to think differently about how they behave and the choices they make through this,” he told BBC South Today.

Defender Bolton, 25, was the first member of the Kenny Jackett's Pompey squad to test positive before the other four did likewise.

“Thankfully I felt over the worst of it within a few days,” he said. “But it was not a nice feeling to have.

“I had one night where I had a really high temperature, didn’t feel great at all.

“But it was mainly tiredness and a lack of energy that was the hardest part. It felt like your recovery after you play a game taking three times longer than usual.”

The Portsmouth players tested positive a few days after an FA Cup fifth round tie on 2 March against Arsenal, whose manager Mikel Arteta has also had coronavirus.

But Bolton believes that may have just been a coincidence.

“It makes sense, but this virus has been circulating in this country for some time now,” the former Shrewsbury right-back said.

“There’s every chance people have had it for a long time without knowing seeing as testing is not that great currently.

“We’re fortunate to be in a position where we got tested right away while a lot of people aren’t.”