The Premier League board met on Thursday to review the COVID-19 situation and has announced that two Boxing Day fixtures—Liverpool vs Leeds and Wolves vs Watford—scheduled for kick-off at 12.30 GMT on Sunday have been postponed.

The Premier League agreed to the postponement at the request of the away sides, Leeds and Watford, who have a number of players and staff down with COVID-19, with the omicron variant wreaking havoc across the UK. Leeds have shut down their training facility after consultation with the UK Health Security Agency and the Premier League, while Watford do not have enough players to field a squad on Sunday.

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“The league is aware that the decision to postpone these two matches will disappoint supporters and understands their frustrations at a special time of year when fans look forward to attending and watching football games. The league aims to provide as much clarity as possible, but unfortunately postponements sometimes have to be made at short notice, as safety is the priority. The league will endeavour to keep supporters updated if games become at risk on a matchday,” said the Premier League in a statement.

As it stands, the other games scheduled for Sunday have not been postponed, and barring any sudden developments, they are expected to go ahead. Among the seven games scheduled for Boxing Day, lovers of the sport will have their eyes on Manchester City vs Leicester, which promises to be a high quality game, with both sides boasting considerable attacking prowess. Sunday will also see Steven Gerrard-led Aston Villa host Chelsea, who have been experiencing a dip in form of late. Manchester United, meanwhile, will not be playing on Boxing Day, and will instead travel to St. James’ park on Monday to face Newcastle, who suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of Manchester City last weekend.

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It is understood that despite the rise in COVID-19 cases, the Premier League intends to continue the season while taking necessary precautions. “While recognising a number of clubs are experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks, it is the clubs’ and the league’s collective intention to continue the current fixture schedule where safely possible,” said the Premier League, highlighting its intentions for the festive period.