Ian Evatt has implored the EFL to use 'common sense' when it comes to assessing if Bolton Wanderers' trip to Burton Albion next week can go ahead.
Wanderers are in the midst of a Covid-19 outbreak at the club which has seen 18 positive tests on the football side, with 14 players affected.
Bolton's Lostock training ground has been closed down because of the outbreak, which has seen the postponement of matches against Wycombe Wanderers and the Boxing Day encounter versus Morecambe.
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It is not due to reopen until Monday, December 27, two days before the planned trip to the Pirelli Stadium, which the Brewers expect to go ahead as planned at present.
Evatt admits that the EFL is in a 'really difficult situation' regarding fixtures being called off, as has been seen in recent weeks with games across the Championship, League One and League Two having to be postponed due to Covid-19.
Wanderers have been 'hit hard' by Covid with 18 cases in the football department, as well as a string of well publiscised injuries in the squad to the likes of Josh Sheehan, Lloyd Isgrove, Amadou Bakayoko, MJ Williams and Gethin Jones in recent weeks.
The EFL has said that clubs will be expected to play games when they have at least 14 fit players including a goalkeeper available.
But in the circumstances, Evatt is hoping the EFL uses 'common sense' in the situation when deciding what to do with the Burton encounter.
He told the Manchester Evening News: “I must say that I think they’re in a really difficult situation. When this all started, everybody spoke about the spirit of the competition and fairness – that was everybody’s point of view.
"It is vital that we maintain that. Through no fault of our own, we have been hit hard by the Covid situation – as I said we have 18 cases.
"There are other clubs out there that haven’t had one case, so they will obviously see the benefit of having a fully fit squad playing against teams that are decimated if they are forced to play. 14 fit players – that could be anybody.
"That could be 14 youngsters, it could be a mixture of the two. You could have eight out of your first 11 missing. In a time where squad sizes are limited for financial purposes, if you start playing fully fit teams through no fault of your own – is that fair competition? For me it is not.
"We have to find a way to carry on playing and carry on with fixtures and the season, but in a fair manner. If teams are decimated, we have to use our common sense a bit.
"Especially the Burton game – if I was the Burton manager and I’d seen that Bolton Wanderers haven’t played for two weeks, they’ve had 18 Covid cases, they’ve been back training for one day - I would be rubbing my hands together.
"How can you possibly prepare to play against a team that haven’t missed any times, that have played all their games, that have a fully fit squad, and we’ve had one day of training and a group of players who haven’t trained or exercised in almost two weeks.
"It’s really challenging and difficult. Rules are rules at the moment but I would say to the EFL, ‘please use common sense’. It’s just going to make it more challenging for us, especially on an injury front.”
