COVID fears: PL clubs plan emergency meeting to postpone Christmas fixtures

Premier League clubs are set to hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the possible postponement of fixtures scheduled for the end of the year, in view of a spike in COVID-19 cases in the UK. According to The Athletic, fixtures scheduled for game week 20 (December 28-30) are likely to get postponed, should Premier League officials and clubs come to an agreement in the meeting.

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This news comes on the back of six Premier League games getting called off this weekend due to a surge in COVID-19 cases among players and staff, and it is understood that there are growing concerns among both players and managers about the threats posed by the new omicron variant of the virus.

Indeed, the Premier League’s decision to hold four games over the weekend did not go down well with some managers. COVID-hit Chelsea had put in a request to get their fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers postponed, but saw their request rejected. The resulting 0-0 draw did not please Thomas Tuchel, who accused Premier League officials of putting his side in danger. “We were put in a huge risk of health and safety to the players, not just because of Covid but also physically,” said a bemused Tuchel.

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was also quick to highlight his frustrations after a 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspurs, with his side missing the likes of Virgin van Dijk, Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, and Curtis Jones, who are all down with the virus. “We play now on Wednesday, Sunday and Tuesday. That is impossible. We do not have the players. We could maybe have another [Covid] case or two. We have to think about it, we cannot just push it all through.”

With managers openly voicing concerns about the continuation of the season amid the rise in COVID-19 cases in the UK, it remains to be seen what decision is taken on Monday.