Premier League records highest-ever positive coronavirus tests in players and staff as games at risk of being postponed
A RECORD number of positive tests for Premier League players and staff has been recorded as fears grow more games could be called off.
Tottenham’s scheduled match against Brighton on Sunday had to be postponed after a Covid outbreak hit the Spurs camp.
And the North London side’s Under-23s have also suffered from positive tests in their squad.
Elsewhere Manchester United were forced to close their Carrington training ground on Monday due to coronavirus.
Their fixture against Brentford in London on Tuesday is now in danger of not going ahead.
Meanwhile Aston Villa have had positive tests in their camp, as they also had to close their Bodymoor Heath training facility over the weekend.
In total, there were 42 cases of Covid in the week to Sunday after 3,805 players and club staff were tested – a jump on the 12 positive tests in the previous seven days of testing.
The 40 positive cases at the turn of 2021 was the previous highest number of infections at Premier League clubs in a week since testing started to be announced in May 2020.
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Championship clubs have also been affected by Covid, with QPR’s game against Sheffield United being called off.
Mark Warburton’s promotion chasing QPR say a ‘number of positive tests’ have left them with ‘insufficient numbers to fulfil’ Monday’s game.
From this week, supporters will need to prove they have been double jabbed or proof of a negative lateral flow test to be allowed into games with a capacity of over 4,000.
Earlier this month, German giants Bayern Munich confirmed matches would once again be played behind closed doors due to the spiralling number of positive Covid cases.
The Bundesliga outfit won’t allow fans into the Allianz Arena until next year at the earliest.
And the Premier League are claimed to potentially follow in their footsteps as clubs fear a Christmas lockdown at grounds.
Premier League regulations say matches should be staged if 14 or more players are available, but the competition’s board has flexibility to decide postponements.
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