Jabs for the boys (From Swindon Advertiser)

SWINDON TOWN: Jabs for the boys

6:00am Saturday 13th October 2012 in Sport By Sam Morshead

SWINDON Town’s players received flu jabs on Tuesday in an effort to keep them fit and healthy during the hectic autumn months.

With the Robins set to play important games against Sheffield United and Stevenage in League One and Aston Villa in the fourth round of the Captital One Cup in the space of 10 days, manager Paolo Di Canio wants to ensure his casualty list does not include sore throats and sniffles.

And therefore he and his coaching staff encouraged the entire squad to be vaccinated earlier this week, with all but three players taking up the option.

“We arranged it. I don’t know if it is common in clubs in League One and League Two but when I was at West Ham it was. But I never had one,” he told the Advertiser.

“I force them to have it because, in my opinion, even if you have two days feeling strange that covers you.

“I never had it because I was strong to look after myself every day with very pure juice, orange juice, every day – especially in October, November and the period where you need vitamin C to have more resistance.

“We are very professional, they follow us now and I’m sure they look after themselves better but it’s important that they had it because one or two last year had six days flu, chest infection, missed one game or were on antibiotics and that is important for me.

“If you play two games with 70 per cent of your energy your legs could go empty.

“Since last year we brought this in. We haven’t made it obligatory because we can’t make it obligatory but we can persuade and say ‘have it’.

“It’s better because if they go in a closed area it is easy to contract some infection. For me it is crucial.

“This is the period when you take something. We have two or three big games in this period. You have one infection, run at 40 degrees for three days and you’re out for one game, come back on antibiotics and are very weak. If you have two or three players together doing that then it is a big deal.”