The Premier League has assured fans this weekend’s fixtures will not be affected by the recent spike in coronavirus cases.
Currently around 16 players or members of staff have tested positive for the virus, although that figure doesn’t include those on international duty. Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Arsenal’s Mohamed Elneny have both tested positive while away with the Egypt squad, while Republic of Ireland’s Matt Doherty will also be forced to sit the weekend’s game out after he also tested positive for the virus.
There are currently around 400 Premier League players and staff away on international duty and upon their return they’ll need to go through some very strict protocol before they’re allowed to return to their respective clubs. This means they’ll be required to pass a PCR test before being allowed to return to training.
It’s likely this will result in even more players flagging for the virus, which would mean they’re forced to sit the weekend’s games out, although with the schedule already jam-packed the Premier League is looking to avoid further disruption and doing all it can to avoid postponing matches.
The coronavirus pandemic has rocked sport since it broke out earlier in the year, forcing many leagues and tournaments – along with the Premier League – to postpone, while others have had to cancel completely. One of the biggest to reschedule was the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which has been forced to move to next summer.
After a recent meeting between International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, the IOC has suggested that not only will the games go ahead as planned, but there may even be spectators allowed now that a vaccine is close to release.
Bach said the IOC plan to encourage as many participants and spectators as possible to get vaccinated: “This makes us all very confident that we can have spectators in the stadia next year and that spectators can enjoy a safe environment.”