Aston Villa vs Everton has been postponed due to “a significant number of players and staff remaining in isolation” after an outbreak of Covid-19 in Dean Smith’s squad.
As a result, Villa requested for a further game to be postponed and the Premier League board has granted that request, with no date confirmed for the game being replayed as of yet.
The match was set for Sunday at 12pm and is the latest fixture casualty for Villa, who suffered defeat by Liverpool in the third round of the FA Cup after being forced to field a team comprised of Under-23 and Under-19 players.
Villa were without any first-team players available following the coronavirus outbreak at their Bodymoor Heath training complex.
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It follows Villa’s midweek match against Tottenham also being pulled, with Spurs instead facing Fulham, who have themselves been facing a battle with a Covid-19 outbreak.
Moreover, the Premier League has confirmed that Villa’s match at Newcastle United, which was due to be played on 4 December, has now been rescheduled for Saturday 23 January, with kick-off at 20:00.
A statement from Everton read: “Our away match against Aston Villa, scheduled to be played on Sunday at 12pm, has been postponed by the Premier League Board.”
A Villa statement added: “The Club would like to express its immense gratitude to the medical experts who have helped us to get a significant Covid-19 outbreak under control, as well as the Premier League board and our fellow clubs for their understanding during this period.
“We expect that members of the first team squad and staff who are healthy and safe to return to training will do so on Sunday when the isolation protocols will have been observed.”
