MY ACCOUNT
The Premier League have confirmed top-flight football will continue — despite the Omicron variant fuelling a surge in coronavirus cases.
Just four of the 10 scheduled Matchday 18 games were played at the weekend as clubs continue to deal with outbreaks.
League chiefs and club representatives held an emergency meeting earlier today to discuss the crisis but decided to pursue with the schedule where possible.
Over the next 14 days, 30 fixtures are currently set to go ahead — but that number could be significantly reduced if fresh cases are reported.
The Premier League will continue to judge matches on a game-by-game basis on whether they will go ahead or not.
Meanwhile, the EFL have confirmed that Championship, League One, League Two and Carabao Cup matches will be fulfilled — assuming the set squad criteria can be met by clubs.
An official statement said: “While the EFL acknowledge there will likely be future postponements to navigate where coronavirus cases are identified, there is optimism that disruption can be minimised following implementation of RED protocols, a daily testing regime and ongoing vaccination rollout.”
EFL chief exec Trevor Birch added: “Throughout the pandemic, our two priorities have been ensuring the welfare of those involved in EFL competitions and ensuring the fixture schedule can continue where it is safe to do so.
“We will continue to work with clubs, authorities and other agencies to monitor the coronavirus case rate and be prepared to respond accordingly.
“Yet for now, the view remains that we can continue to deliver games safely where clubs have sufficient healthy personnel in place, on and off the pitch.
“With club mitigation measures, the mass adoption of booster jabs and coronavirus certification now required for larger crowds, we are sure many fans will continue to feel confident in attending matches over the Christmas period and we look forward to welcoming them.”
