Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been forced to call off his usual Friday afternoon press conference after returning an "inconclusive" Covid test.
The Blues boss was tested as part of the Premier League 's stringent new drive to tighten up the bubbles around clubs after a week in which positive tests have caused the postponement of six matches this week already.
The league is already considering shutting down the fixture programme until the new year as the omicron variant spreads rapidly through the population.
Guardiola 's test was inconclusive, which means he will have a PCR test to determine whether he has contracted the virus or not.
The City manager lost his mother to Covid in the summer of 2020 and has been a strong proponent of health measures aimed at tackling the illness.
Guardiola is staying away from his players and staff until his status is certain, and if the subsequent test is positive, he will be forced to self-isolate for 10 days — meaning he will not travel with the squad to Newcastle for Sunday's scheduled game.
Assistants Juanma Lillo and Rodolfo Borrell are expected to take charge of the squad if that happens and the game goes ahead, and Lillo could hold a press conference later today, with Guardiola's own Zoom meeting with the media scheduled for 12.30pm now called off.
If the subsequent test is negative, Guardiola will resume his duties.
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