English Premier League managers will meet on Monday to discuss the worsening Covid-19 situation, which has already wiped out half of the weekend games and sidelined star players. Outbreaks at clubs underscore the worsening health emergency in Britain as the omicron variant spreads. (More Football News)
Opinions were wide-ranging regarding what steps to take from here. Some managers advocate a break in play, citing fairness. Others say the games should continue.
바카라There are obviously a lot of concerns and a lot of unanswered questions,바카라 Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard said. 바카라That's the reason why the Premier League, on Monday, have put in place an opportunity for the managers to get together and I'm hoping there will be a lot of clarity which comes off the back of that meeting.바카라
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said he's read the rules 바카라and instantly forgot them because there are many of them.바카라 Club captains also plan to hold talks, said Gerrard, the former Liverpool captain.
The league has already reintroduced emergency measures 바카라 more frequent testing and wearing face masks indoors among them 바카라 but said its intention was to maintain the current schedule 바카라where safely possible.바카라
The league said its board was assessing applications to postpone matches on a case-by-case basis and 바카라based on existing rules and Covid-19 postponement guidance issued to all clubs.바카라 The latest postponements 바카라 five of the weekend's 10-match schedule 바카라 brought the total number of top-flight games called off this week to nine.
Two matches were played on Thursday with key players missing because of positive tests. Chelsea was without Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner and Callum Hudson-Odoi in a 1-1 draw with Everton. Ben Chilwell, who is out injured, also tested positive.
Tuchel said daily testing showed no other positive tests on Friday. 바카라But the lottery starts again tomorrow,바카라 he said. With a depleted squad for Sunday's match at Wolverhampton, Tuchel may be forced to start Mateo Kovacic and N'Golo Kante, describing it as 바카라crazy바카라 because Kovacic returned to training only on Friday after isolating from a coronavirus infection, and Kante was just back from injury.
Chelsea's Kai Havertz also sat out Thursday because he felt unwell but has since tested negative. Liverpool is at Tottenham on Sunday and manager Jurgen Klopp favors playing the match even though he'll have trouble preparing because he has no idea which Tottenham players are available.
바카라We don't think we shouldn't play on Sunday, honestly, but I say that now,바카라 Klopp said. 바카라In two hours, when the players are arriving here and we have then six, seven, eight more cases 바카라 whatever 바카라 then of course we cannot play. But in a situation, like we are now, we can play and we would like to play.바카라
More transparency, he added, 바카라would really be helpful.바카라 On Thursday, Liverpool beat Newcastle 3-1 without Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and Curtis Jones because of positive tests. Klopp said on Friday that all three feel 바카라fine.바카라
Tottenham will be in action for the first time in two weeks. Its outbreak forced the postponement of two league games and the cancellation of a Europa Conference League match. Morale has been low, manager Antonio Conte said.
바카라But at the same time we're ready to play on Sunday an important game against a really good, amazing team," he said. Meanwhile, league leader Manchester City received good news when manager Pep Guardiola tested negative late Friday, hours after an inconclusive one, according to the British Press Association.
Guardiola canceled his pre-match news conference but the follow-up test apparently cleared him to go to Newcastle on Sunday with a near full-strength squad.
