He’s stuck in a hotel room – Callum Davidson feels for new signing Guy Melamed

St Johnstone v Celtic – Scottish Premiership – McDiarmid Park
(Image credit: Andrew Milligan)

Callum Davidson has sympathy for new St Johnstone signing Guy Melamed, who remains in quarantine after arriving from Israel.

The 27-year-old forward joined the Perth club from Maccabi Netanya on transfer deadline day but, due to Covid-19 rules, he has been stuck in his hotel room since and missed the Betfred Cup wins over Kelty Hearts and Brechin.

McDiarmid Park boss Davidson is unsure if Melamed will be free to travel with the squad on Saturday for the Premiership clash with Hamilton.

He said: “The poor lad is stuck in a hotel room. Still there on a spin bike.

“It is 14 days from when you arrive in the country, which was last Saturday (October 3).

“He has had two tests done, both negative but the quarantine means he has to stay for 14 days, which is frustrating but understandable in this current time.

“The poor guy has come from all the way from Israel and is stuck in a hotel room, watching the rain lash down and looking forward to getting to training.

“He’s fine. I’ve been in contact with him over the phone and there has been people going out making sure he has got food and stuff like that, social distancing.

“It is important we try and look after him and the club have done really well regarding that aspect.

“We’re a little bit gutted that we couldn’t get him in training and the Betfred Cup would have been ideal.

“He has come from a different country and we would have liked to have got him involved and bed him in, it is a different style of football.

“It will take him a wee while but he is naturally a fit guy and it won’t take too long hopefully to get up and running.”