Alan Irvine has revealed that David Moyes was at London Stadium for almost an hour before learning of his positive coronavirus test.
The West Ham manager, as well as players Issa Diop and Josh Cullen, was sent home after club doctors received the trio's positive results following Monday's round of testing just over an hour before their Carabao Cup tie against Hull City kicked off.
Irvine took Moyes's place in the dugout after it was agreed the game would go ahead, with West Ham carefully following all protocols and having been given the green light by the EFL.
But Moyes and his coaches - who usually arrive at the stadium two hours before kick-off - had been inside the ground long before the news of the positive tests arrived.
"We had contact in so far as we were in the same area as David - it's a very big room," Irvine said when asked if he'd been in contact with Moyes before learning of his positive test.
"We'd been at the stadium about two hours before the match started. We were shocked by the news, we've had so many tests and not had any positive.
"At 20 past six we suddenly got some information from our doctor and head physio to say there were three positive tests, the manager and the two players.
"Immediately at that point you're thinking we've got a game in an hour and ten minutes so we had to focus on that, and that's what we did. We had to pick a different team.
"I had a chat with the players, explained the situation and then we got on with the game.
"We've been very particular about protocol right from the start, medical team very aware of what's been happening and we've followed all the protocol and we'll be following protocol now."
