Cardiff boss Neil Warnock has been talking for the first time since the disappearance of the plane carrying Emiliano Sala.

Sala, who was signed by Cardiff for a club-record £15m from Nantes, and pilot David Ibbotson remain missing.

"You think 24 hours a day about whether to carry on," said Warnock.

"It's impossible to sleep. I've been in football management for 40 years and it's been by far the most difficult week in my career, by an absolute mile.

"It's been a traumatic week and even now I can't get my head around the situation.

"It's probably hit me harder than anyone else as I've met the lad and talked to him for the last six to eight weeks."

Warnock also revealed that the League Managers' Association had offered him support and that several Cardiff players have spoken to psychologists in the wake of Sala's disappearance.

Asked whether he had sought help, Warnock said: "You have to in this instance. Who motivates the motivator?

"I am OK when I'm in the public eye or with the players, it's when I'm on my own or at home that you think about it.

"It's probably the lads you don't expect that needed more help. But I don't think it does any harm to talk to anyone else.

"It's such a difficult time. I keep looking at my own children and thinking what I would be doing now. The family have been fantastic. Our fans and Nantes fans have been amazing as well.

"It's been amazing the knock on with the players in training. It's unknown territory.

"Football is important, but when a tragedy like this happens... I think from the players' point of view they need some sort of distraction now because it's so doom and gloom and sorrowful, the place is so somber all the way around the club.

"You need some sort of a game to get firing again."