There are eight Premier League matches which need rearranging as it stands – but that number could rise in the next few weeks due to the spread of the Omicron variant.
Manchester United’s weekend fixture with Brighton and Leicester’s match at home to Tottenham are the latest casualties to the schedule despite the Premier League initially refusing postponement requests for the latter earlier in the week.
Burnley’s game with Watford was called off on Wednesday night, while the outbreak at Manchester United also saw their Tuesday fixture at Brentford postponed.
Brentford boss Thomas Frank learned of fresh cases at his club mid-press conference on Thursday, and he has called for the upcoming round of fixtures this weekend to be postponed.
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Analysis: It’s time to suspend the Premier League
By Daniel Storey, i chief football writer
The firebreak makes sense. Brentford manager Thomas Frank is the first to publicly call for one and there’s little doubt other Premier League managers privately support his suggestion.
But the league’s governing body must use that period to construct a detailed, documented plan that provides greater clarity to clubs and supporters over the management of Covid-affected fixtures.
If we’ve learned anything from the last 20 months it’s that this problem isn’t going away anytime soon.
“Covid cases are going through the roof in all the Premier League clubs, everyone is dealing with it and having problems at this moment in time.
“To postpone this round and also the Carabao Cup round would give everyone a week at least, or four or five days to clean and do everything at the training ground so everything is clean and you break the chain.
“It’s important football keeps going, but this way we can have Boxing Day going no problems. In that aspect, we think that would be very sensible.”
Which Premier League games need rescheduling?
There are currently eight matches listed on the Premier League’s website as “TBC”:
- Brentford vs Man Utd
- Brighton vs Tottenham
- Brighton vs Chelsea
- Burnley vs Tottenham
- Burnley vs Watford
- Chelsea vs Arsenal
- Leicester vs Tottenham
- Man Utd vs Brighton
Five have been postponed due to Covid, two Chelsea matches are on this list because they are set to play in the Club World Cup in February, while Burnley’s game with Tottenham was postponed due to snow.
When could Premier League rearrange games for?
Tottenham and Brighton now have a backlog of three Premier League games, while Chelsea, Burnley and Manchester United all have two matches which need rearranging – as it stands.
Calls to postpone this weekend’s round of fixtures would further add to a pile-up come the New Year, but that may be deemed necessary to curb the spread of coronavirus.
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How Omicron affects English football and what the Premier League are doing to halt the spread15 December, 2021The full list of Premier League players who could miss fixtures if Afcon goes ahead16 December, 2021
Man Utd fans were let down by the Premier League cancelling Brentford game at the 11th hour14 December, 2021A look forward to 2022 (scroll down for the current schedule) shows a number of midweek slots where rearranged fixtures could take place, but it is the planned winter break at the end of January which could be the natural point where a whole postponed Gameweek can slot in.
This could offer the Premier League the weekend of 28-29 January to play a full round of matches, but with no scheduled games in midweek either side, some clubs behind with their fixtures could well play two or even three matches in this period.
Naturally, there are other variables in play. Tottenham are waiting to discover whether they will play in the Europa Conference League knockouts, and their midweeks could become free to play Premier League catch-up if Uefa rule against them.
Chelsea are fighting on multiple fronts, including the Carabao Cup and Club World Cup, and assuming they progress far in the FA Cup and Champions League they will have limited opportunities to play their postponed league games.
The biggest variable, however, is Covid itself. A short “circuit break” would offer no guarantees that further postponements are not required, while a longer hiatus would be reminiscent of the 2019-20 campaign, which finished on 26 July 2020 – more than two months later than originally planned.
Football schedule for Premier League clubs
January
- 1-3: Premier League Gameweek 21
- 4-5: Carabao Cup semi-final first legs
- 7-10: FA Cup third round
- 11-12: Carabao Cup semi-final second legs
- 14-16: Premier League GW 22
- 21-23: Premier League GW 23
February
- 4-7: FA Cup fourth round
- 8-10: Premier League GW 24
- 9-12: Chelsea in Club World Cup
- 12-13: Premier League GW 25
- 15-17: Midweek European fixtures
- 19-20: Premier League GW 26
- 22-24: Midweek European fixtures
- 26-27: Premier League GW 27
- 27: Carabao Cup final
March
- 1-2: FA Cup fifth round
- 5-6: Premier League GW 28
- 8-10: Midweek European fixtures
- 12-13: Premier League GW 29
- 15-17: Midweek European fixtures
- 19-20: Premier League GW 30 & FA Cup quarter-finals
- 21-29: International break
April
- 2-3: Premier League GW 31
- 5-7: Midweek European fixtures
- 9-10: Premier League GW 32
- 12-14: Midweek European fixtures
- 16-17: Premier League GW 33 & FA Cup semi-finals
- 23-24: Premier League GW 34
- 26-28: Midweek European fixtures
- 30 (and 1 May): Premier League GW 35
May
- 1: Premier League GW 35
- 3-5: Midweek European fixtures
- 7-8: Premier League GW 36
- 14: FA Cup final
- 14-15: Premier League GW 37
- 18: Europa League final
- 22: Premier League GW 38
- 25: Europa Conference League final
- 28: Champions League final
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/30wmYIm
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