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Manchester City’s Premier League match in Everton was postponed and the club’s training ground was closed for an indeterminate period after several of its players tested positive for Covid-19.
City requested the postponement on Monday morning when their latest round of testing revealed an increase in positive cases among the team. The club had confirmed four positive tests on Christmas Day, including for Kyle Walker and Gabriel Jesus, and a Premier League board meeting agreed to reorganize the Goodison Park match hours before it started.
The current number of City employees who tested positive has not been disclosed, although the Premier League accepted medical advice before postponing a game that would have been attended by 2,000 Everton fans. Premier League guidelines, which predate the pandemic, state that a match must continue and requests for postponement must be rejected, unless a club has fewer than 14 players available. Everton will ask the Premier League for a full disclosure of why they agreed to postpone the game.
With players in quarantine and the training complex closed, City’s upcoming games against Chelsea on Sunday and Manchester United next Wednesday in the Carabao Cup semi-final may also be in doubt.
A statement from the city read: “After the latest round of Covid-19 testing, the club returned a number of positive cases, in addition to the four already reported on Christmas Day. With the security of the bubble compromised, there was a risk that the virus would spread further among equipment, personnel, and potentially beyond. Based on firm medical advice, the Premier League, in consultation with both clubs, has decided to postpone the match.
“All positive cases involving players and staff will observe a period of self-isolation in accordance with the quarantine protocol of the Premier League and the UK government. The first team training ground at City Football Academy will be closed for an indeterminate period, and the team and associated bubble will undergo testing before a decision is made to resume training. Everyone at the Club wishes all our colleagues a speedy recovery before they return to work, training and competition ”.
Everton’s game is the second Premier League game to be postponed due to Covid-19, after Aston Villa v Newcastle earlier this month, but despite the outbreak at City, the authority insists they are being watched. their protocols. A Premier League statement read: “This increase has created uncertainty and the Premier League board received medical advice that the match should be postponed. The board agreed to reorganize the game as a precautionary measure, and more tests will be conducted tomorrow. “The decision was made with the health of the players and staff as a priority. The Premier League continues to have full confidence in its protocols and rules, and in the way all clubs are implementing them. The League wishes those with COVID-19 a quick and safe recovery and will reorganize the postponed match against Everton in due course. ”
Everton, currently second in the table, have urged the 2,000 fans who obtained tickets through a club ballot not to travel to Goodison.
“An alternative date and start time have not yet been decided, but will be confirmed as soon as possible,” they added in a statement. “Everton’s next game will now be West Ham United’s New Year’s Day visit (5.30pm GMT).”
