'Livid' Stuart Kettlewell has say on Hibs friendly call-off as Ross County boss gives Scottish Premiership warning

Ross County boss Stuart Kettlewell fears Scottish Premiership games will be at risk of postponement – if clubs fail to adhere to coronavirus testing guidelines.

The Staggies manager was “absolutely livid” after his side's bounce game with Hibs was called off at the last minute on Saturday after the Easter Road outfit failed to receive Covid-19 test results in time for the match to go ahead.

Several members of the Dingwall club were forced to wait at Perth for updates, while some players and staff are understood to have already been at the East Mains training complex before the game as cancelled.

Speaking to BBC Sport Scotland, Kettlewell said: “If this situation had transpired in a week and a half’s time, you can't play the game. It’s as simple as that.

"We all know the rules, what we have to do, what the pitfalls are if we don’t operate in the correct manner.

"We know the government will step in and tell us we can’t play football.”

Kettlewell insisted he was not “going after” Hibs when pressed for further information, but added: “It's not on me to tell people whether I think Hibs are doing things right or wrong or whether it's the testing company's fault.

"I was driving back up the A9 on Saturday and was absolutely livid for a number of different reasons: sitting with a group of players at Perth to see if we're going to get test results, to see if we're going to be able to actually play the game. The game had been planned weeks in advance. I need game-time for my players."

County carry out testing on their players on Tuesdays, with results returned within 48 hours and then passed to the Scottish FA. Hibs are understood to have brought their own testing day forward from Friday to Thursday as a result of last weekend’s delay.

A spokesperson for Hibs indicated that club officials had “apologised to Ross County at the highest level”, adding: “We regret having had to call off Saturday’s bounce game at short notice and are sorry that Ross County players and staff travelled in vain.

"We have since taken extra precautionary measures to ensure there is no repeat. It goes without saying that the health and safety of all those involved comes first."