DAVID Oldfield admits it was only a matter of time before Covid-19 hit Oxford City.

The Vanarama National League South side’s squad are self-isolating after some players came into contact with a person who contracted coronavirus.

It forced the postponement of the home and away games against Slough Town on Boxing Day and this Saturday respectively, as well as yesterday’s visit to Hemel Hempstead Town.

Read also: Oxford City squad goes into isolation

City, at level six of the football pyramid, are allowed to continue playing behind closed doors regardless of the severity of restrictions in each area.

But Oldfield revealed being classed as an ‘elite’ club without full-time players presented its own issues.

He said: “I think (Covid) testing needs to be considered at our level.

“We’re all trying very hard to stay within the protocols, but we’re a part-time football club and players go away and live their lives.

“It’s sometimes a difficult balance.

“The club are very conscious about keeping everybody safe.”

As of yesterday lunchtime there had been no positive tests at City, but players and staff are staying away from each other as a precautionary measure.

The ten-day isolation period started last Wednesday, when Oldfield’s side were due to take on Truro City in the third round of the Buildbase FA Trophy.

That game was cancelled after an opposition player tested positive, with City training together instead.

It means their next scheduled game is at Billericay Town on Tuesday, January 5, which will be three weeks after their most recent outing, at Welling United on December 15.

This gap in fixtures has been especially strange at this time of year, when the calendar is normally jam-packed.

Oldfield said: “We were preparing for many games in a short period and now that’s not happening.

“We’ve had to shift our mentality, because we know these games are going to be rearranged for another time when it’ll get busy.”

City will head into 2021 having only played 11 of their 40 league fixtures, but three of their rivals have only managed nine games.

Although the season does not finish until the last weekend of May, Oldfield is preparing for an almighty fixture backlog.

“With other teams having games called off the league is approximately the same,” he said.

“It’s going to be tough to fit them all in, but we have to do it.

“The boys have shown a huge amount of resilience already.

“We’ll have to deal with playing Saturday-Tuesday, but we know we can adapt and be flexible.”