ISLAMABAD, Jan. 15 -- Chelsea manager Frank Lampard defended his players on Thursday amid a growing debate about teams celebrating goals with hugs and high-fives while the country is battling the Covid-19 pandemic.

England's Deputy Chief Medical Officer has urged players to stop such physical contact and a senior politician suggested on Thursday yellow cards should be brandished for hugging. The Premier League was holding virtual meetings to reinforce the message that protocols must be respected, but Lampard echoed other top flight managers in suggesting that was easier said than done.

"Football has and always will be a game of instinct. If we want to take the instinct out of the game then it is not that simple," he told reporters ahead o...