Carlisle United No2 responds to Mansfield Town's Covid cases in Blues game

But the Blues assistant manager says the Stags’ approach regarding the matter was “their decision and their business”.

Some United fans have criticised Easter Monday’s opponents after boss Nigel Clough said two players faced Carlisle despite suffering from the virus.

Clough said Stephen McLaughlin and George Maris had travelled separately from the squad, stayed apart from them in the build-up and had not used the changing room at Brunton Park.

Both, though, played in the game and it only emerged the following day that the pair had had the virus.

Skelton said: “I wasn’t aware of it but I don’t think they’re breaking any rules.

“The Government have got all their regulations and things as well.

“It doesn’t really affect us. I don’t think there’s any evidence of it being passed over on the pitch, and off the pitch we don’t have any contact with them.

“I don’t think they’re under any obligation to tell us, and that’s obviously their decision and their business.”

READ MORE: Two Mansfield Town players who faced Carlisle United had Covid-19, manager Nigel Clough reveals

Asked if it would have been considered the decent thing for Mansfield to have informed United of their Covid situation, even if they had no legal obligation to do so, the Carlisle No2 said: “That’s their business, something they have to decide on.

“It is what it is. I don’t know when they got tested, when they found out, how far they were into their isolation.

Carlisle assistant boss Gavin Skelton

“The rules have changed that much. I don’t know the full facts so I can’t comment without that.”

Clough, speaking on Tuesday after his side’s 1-0 defeat at Brunton Park, said the club had chosen not to release information about the Covid-infected duo before the game.

He added: “We had Stephen McLaughlin starting [on Monday] and he had Covid. He hasn't trained.

“Him and George Maris have got Covid at the moment.

“They travelled up to Carlisle on their own in the car, isolated in a room and we took food up to them. They didn't get changed in the changing room. They stayed away from everybody. We did all the things we could do.

“Stephen McLaughlin then played for 70 minutes with Covid.

“Both of them felt breathing problems. George Maris came on for the last 10-15 minutes and was the same."

Clough claimed the fact his players played despite the effects of the virus proved they were "giving absolutely everything.”

He added: “Anybody who's had Covid will tell you it's quite debilitating - and that's with not even doing anything.

“People are up and down with it.

“I wish we didn't have this rule about the substitute not coming off at the halfway line as McLaughlin has to walk halfway round the pitch and we didn't think he was going to make it at one point he looked that tired...he was absolutely dead on his feet."

Neither United nor the EFL have otherwise commented.