NEIL WARNOCK has expressed his frustration after a number of his Middlesbrough players refused to have a vaccination against coronavirus.

Having contracted Covid himself last summer, the 72-year-old has been a vocal advocate of the vaccination scheme and has had both of his jabs.

However, his words have fallen on deaf ears within the Middlesbrough dressing room, with a number of his players opting not to take up the offer of a vaccine.

Boro have been badly hit throughout the pandemic – Chuba Akpom became the latest senior player to contract Covid earlier this month and was only able to return to the training ground yesterday – and Warnock has repeatedly tried to persuade his squad to get vaccinated.

He is unable to force his players to have an injection though, and admits he is worried that another major outbreak could have a massively detrimental effect on Middlesbrough’s season.

“We are trying to get the lads to have vaccinations, but at the moment, I’d say the majority of players haven’t had it,” said Warnock. “I’ve no idea why. Obviously, it’s a personal choice.

“I’ve no idea where they’re getting their advice from, but I think it’s the wrong advice. Not just for themselves, it’s what they can do to other people if they have it. They don’t realise the importance. One or two lads will be going home after this weekend because we’ve got a midweek spare – who’s to say they don’t go down to London and see their grandparents or whatever?

“I just think it’s irresponsible, but that’s how I am, and I do think there’ll be some disruption through the season. Chuba caught it last week, Leo’s (Percovich) had it – he’s just coming back on the training ground today.

“Leo had it, then he thought he hadn’t got it, then he got it again. It does worry you because if we lost two or three players with it now, we’d be in a right situation with the lads that are injured as well.”

Warnock has discussed the situation with some of the players who are refusing vaccinations, and feels disinformation on social media is a major factor in their decision to turn down a jab.

Most of the major social media platforms are overrun with anti-vax messages, and there is growing evidence from right across the country to suggest factually incorrect information about the vaccine programme is resulting in a large number of those aged 30 and under refusing to have a vaccine.

“It’s important everybody has two injections if they can,” added Warnock. “We’re doing tests this morning on some of the players, but only the ones that haven’t had two injections.

“I just can’t see the logic of not having them. I think it’s ludicrous we can’t have (everyone with) two injections. I think people like putting negative things on social media – they’ve (the players) all got their Twitter or whatever, and all seem to believe everything they read.”