Half of the weekend’s Premier League fixtures are now off after four more games were postponed attributable to Covid-19 outbreaks.
The most fashionable games affected are Southampton v Brentford, Watford v Crystal Palace, West Ham v Norwich and Everton v Leicester.
Earlier on Thursday, Manchester United’s match with Brighton on Saturday used to be called off, alongside with Leicester City’s sport with Tottenham on Thursday, which is fragment of the league’s midweek programme.
On Wednesday Brentford boss Thomas Frank called for this weekend’s top-flight fixtures to be postponed to let golf equipment deal with the outbreaks however the Premier League is to this level resisting that.
“All other fixtures attributable to be played this weekend are currently scheduled to proceed as planned,” it acknowledged in a commentary.
Liverpool players Fabinho, Curtis Jones and Virgil van Dijk will additionally plod over Thursday’s match with Newcastle after suspected definite tests, even supposing supervisor Jurgen Klopp acknowledged that the club did no longer quiz for a postponement.
“Honestly, I insist at one level now we maintain got to bear determined what precisely the foundations are, however clearly with three players out and this squad we would no longer maintain requested to no longer play a football sport,” he told BT Sport.
Thursday’s other match between Chelsea and Everton is made up our minds to head ahead despite four of the London aspect’s players checking out definite – Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner, Callum Hudson-Odoi and the injured Ben Chilwell.
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A entire of nine top-flight matches maintain been cancelled trusty thru the final week, the others being Tottenham’s match against Brighton closing Sunday, Brentford’s sport with Manchester United on Tuesday and Burnley’s match against Watford on Wednesday.
The Premier League acknowledged there used to be “an lengthen in definite Covid-19 instances” at Leicester on Thursday, while Manchester United maintain an ongoing outbreak.
United acknowledged they’d additionally suspend coaching at their Carrington contaminated for “a immediate length to lend a hand gash again possibility of additional transmission”.
The club added in a commentary: “The health of players and workers is our precedence. Given the volume of players and increase workers having to isolate attributable to Covid-19, the club had no likelihood except for to query the match be rearranged.
“We feel sorry about any disappointment and worry precipitated to fans by the postponement.”
Leicester supervisor Brendan Rodgers acknowledged on Wednesday that an preliminary question to execute their sport with Tottenham had been rejected, with the club staring at for to be with out nine players attributable to Covid-linked points and injuries.
Spurs additionally wished the sport postponed to exercise the date to play their Europa Convention League sport with Rennes, which used to be called off closing week after a Covid outbreak.
“In light of the unique data, Leicester utilized [on Thursday] for the fixture to be called off attributable to an ongoing outbreak internal the squad, which has resulted in more players and workers checking out definite for Covid-19 nowadays,” learn a Premier League commentary.
“This has left the club with an insufficient quantity of players readily accessible to fulfil the sport.”
A Leicester commentary learn: “Given the lengthen in definite tests among first-group personnel, first-group operations at Seagrave [training ground] will now be closed for 48 hours, serving as a circuit breaker to lend a hand gash again the danger of additional an infection.
“First-group players and workers will endure a subsequent round of checking out on Saturday.”
The Premier League added: “Regarding Manchester United’s sport on Saturday [against Brighton], the club continues to maintain an ongoing Covid-19 outbreak internal their squad, which has left them unable to enviornment a bunch for the match at Frail Trafford.
“A important quantity of Covid-19 instances resulted in their sport against Brentford being called off earlier this week, and nowadays [Thursday] additional definite tests maintain been confirmed.”
Brighton boss Graham Potter questioned how long “football can continue on the direction it be on” after revealing his Covid-hit group wished Wednesday’s sport against Wolves, which they misplaced 1-0, to be postponed.
The Premier League acknowledged it “assesses functions on a case-by-case foundation” and decisions are “fixed with novel guidelines and Covid-19 postponement steering issued to all golf equipment”.
It added: “[The board] will assess heaps of components, including the ability of a club to enviornment a bunch; the placement, severity and probably impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on the club; and the ability of the players to soundly put together for and play the match.
“The board need to additionally protect in mind the broader risks to the opposition and folk the club could possibly possibly come into contact with.”
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