Fulham’s Premier League encounter against Tottenham Hotspur is in doubt after the Cottagers recorded a number of positive Covid-19 tests on Tuesday.
The Wednesday night fixture could become the second top-flight match to be postponed this week following Everton’s game with Manchester City as the nationwide rise in coronavirus cases takes a stranglehold on the Premier League.
Fulham are due to travel across London for the match, which kicks off at 6pm, but they are awaiting results of further testing before a decision can be taken on whether the game can go ahead or not.
It’s understood that Fulham posted a number of positive results for Covid-19 in the first round of testing across the Premier League, with clubs in tier 4 areas required to test twice a week in an effort to halt growing numbers of infection. The Premier League announced on Tuesday that they recorded 18 positive tests last week - the most since the pandemic began - and Fulham are far from the only clb to be affected as City, Arsenal and Sheffield United have all confirmed positive cases this week.
Fulham manager Scott Parker revealed in his press conference on Tuesday he had tested negative on Sunday to ensure he was able to return to the training ground at the start of this week after a period of self-isolation.
The 40-year-old missed the goalless draw with Southampton on Boxing Day after a member of his household tested positive for coronavirus.
But the rise in coronavirus numbers this month has seen clubs discuss a two-week ‘cooling off’ period to act as a circuit-breaker, which would see games postponed in January in the hope of bringing Covid-19 outbreaks back under control, and West Bromwich Albion manager Sam Allardyce backed those calls following his side’s 5-0 defeat by Leeds United on Tuesday.
"When I listen to the news the variant virus transmits quicker than the original virus, we can only do the right thing which is have a circuit break," Allardyce said.
"I am 66 years old and the last thing I want to do is catch Covid. I'm very concerned for myself and football in general. If that's what needs to be done we need to do it."
The Premier League is not in favour of taking a break though due to the fixture backlog it would cause and the lack of space in the calendar to rearrange so many fixtures, particularly with the European Championship due to take place at the end of the season.
Sheffield United were able to complete their fixture with Burnley on Tuesday night - a disappointing 1-0 defeat they leaves the Blades winless at the turn of the year - despite “a couple” of players and “half a dozen” staff testing positive for Covid-19 this week.
"It's not an ideal situation but I don't think we're a club of one," manager Chris Wilder told SUTV. "It (the virus) is picking up and it's running high at football clubs.
"We just notified the relevant authorities that we've had a situation at the football club. But I want to play football. That's how it is, we're not looking to get anything canned. We did the right thing as far as our responsibility to the Premier League and notified them regarding the players that are ill."
Additional reporting by PA
