Eddie Howe admits that seeing the turnstiles locked again at St James' Park is the last thing he wants - but admits clubs may have to brace themselves for playing behind closed doors again.
The Newcastle United head coach has been preparing for the Magpies' clash with Manchester United on Monday night with a full house expected at St James'.
However, as Wales and Scotland get ready for matches without fans again and Covid levels continue to rise, there is a possibility that the Premier League will again go behind closed doors like it did in 2020 and early 2021.
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Howe said: "It would be the least preferential route for us.
"We know how important the fans are, since they've come in
"We would hate to play in front of an empty stadium.
"But I am aware that the health and safety for everybody is important."
United have gone through another rigorous round of testing for Covid but have no absentees for the clash with Man United so far.
The Magpies will not train on Christmas Day and will stick to personal programmes but they will return on Boxing Day on the eve of the game against Man United.
Howe added: "We have a clean bill of health currently and we're going though our testing every day.
"With the current infection rate around the country, we're doing well at the moment to stay clear of it."
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