Following a request from Leeds United, the Premier League Board met as we speak and regrettably agreed to postpone the membership's house fixture towards Aston Villa, attributable to be performed at 17:30 GMT on Tuesday 28 December.
The Board was capable of make its choice upfront of the match to provide readability to the affected golf equipment and their followers. We apologise for the inconvenience and disruption induced to supporters' festive plans.
The postponement is a results of the continued COVID-19 instances and accidents at Leeds which noticed their Boxing Day match towards Liverpool referred to as off. The Board accepted the postponement utility because the membership doesn't have the required variety of gamers accessible for the match (13 outfield gamers and one goalkeeper).
The League is conscious that the choices this week to postpone matches will disappoint supporters, and understands their frustrations at a particular time of yr when followers sit up for attending and watching soccer video games.
The League goals to offer as a lot readability as potential, however sadly postponements generally should be made at quick discover, as security is our precedence. The place potential, the League will endeavour to maintain supporters up to date if matches grow to be in danger on a matchday.
The Board assesses functions to postpone matches on a case-by-case foundation, primarily based on current guidelines and tailored COVID-19 postponement steerage, carried out in gentle of the brand new Omicron variant.
The Board will assess quite a few components, together with the power of a membership to subject a staff; the standing, severity and potential influence of the COVID-19 outbreak on the membership; and the power of the gamers to securely put together for and play the match.
The Board should additionally think about the broader dangers to the opposition and different folks the membership representatives might come into contact with. Click on right here to learn extra on the Premier League's match postponement course of.
Whereas recognising quite a few golf equipment are experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks, it's the golf equipment' and the League's collective intention to proceed the present fixture schedule the place safely potential.
The well being and wellbeing of all involved stays our precedence and the League will proceed to observe and mirror public well being steerage, at all times continuing with warning.
In gentle of the current rise in COVID-19 instances throughout the nation, the Premier League has reintroduced Emergency Measures. These embody protocols equivalent to extra frequent testing, sporting face coverings whereas indoors, observing social distancing and limiting therapy time.
