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Newcastle’s Premier League match with Aston Villa on Friday is under threat due to an outbreak of Covid-19 cases, according to British media reports.
Newcastle has closed its training camp and is not expected to reopen until Wednesday at the earliest, the Guardian said.
Magpies coach Steve Bruce had already canceled training Sunday after four players and a backroom staff member tested positive for the virus last week.
According to The Daily Telegraph, the club learned that more players tested positive when the latest results were released on Monday.
All the team and first team personnel have been told to isolate themselves at home.
Bruce was already without five first-team players for last Friday’s 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.
No Premier League matches have been canceled since football was resumed after the March lockdown.
Premier League officials have said before for a game to be postponed, it would take 14 players to be affected.
However, if the team can field 11 players plus three substitutes, the game must continue.
The match schedule is already hectic and many managers attribute a higher-than-usual injury rate to it.
According to the Telegraph, players are being considered solely for training on Wednesday without entering the buildings.
The city of Newcastle itself will enter the level three restriction band on Wednesday when the latest lockdown, the highest assigned by the Government, ends.
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