MANCHESTER CITY are in turmoil after a Covid-19 outbreak saw their Premier League clash with Everton postponed.
The Toffees were furious that the game was abandoned so close to kick-off on Monday, with Carlo Ancelotti’s side hoping for a fifth-straight league victory.
Guardiola’s men are due to face Chelsea and Man Utd in next 10 daysCredit: AP:Associated Press
But with an unknown amount of City players affected, attention has now turned to their games in the next 10 days.
Will Man City have to forfeit the game?
On Christmas Day, City chiefs confirmed that first-team stars Gabriel Jesus and Kyle Walker had both tested positive.
The side went on to play a Boxing Day game against Newcastle, winning 2-0 at the Etihad.
But after further Covid testing over the weekend, five more positives were discovered and the club was forced to act on Monday morning ahead of the trip to Goodison.
The club’s training ground has been shut as a precautionary measure, while players and staff have gone into self-isolation.
As revealed by SunSport, City officials believe the virus may have swept through the team after a stay in London for the EFL Cup quarter-final at Arsenal last week.
Walker and Jesus have both tested positive for Covid-19Credit: PA:Press Association
And the Premier League released a statement stating: “The Board agreed to rearrange the game [vs Everton] as a precaution.”
Pep Guardiola’s side are due to face Chelsea on Sunday, January 3 before their crunch EFL Cup semi-final with cross-town rivals United on Wednesday, January 6.
With the team in isolation, both of these fixtures are now in doubt.
But City will NOT have to forfeit their semi-final berth – and the match with United will be re-arranged if it can’t be played when originally scheduled.
In the early rounds of this season’s EFL Cup – from round one to round four – clubs who could not fulfil their fixtures were forced to drop out of the competition.
This was the case when League Two Leyton Orient suffered a Covid outbreak, resulting in a bye for Spurs.
The EFL Cup rules state however that games AFTER the fourth round can be re-arranged to another date, so the Manchester derby will take place.
When will it be played instead?
As yet, there is no date for a re-arranged fixture as the original January 6 date is still pencilled in.
With the severity of City’s outbreak still unknown, it remains to be seen if they will be forced into further postponements in the next 10 days.
As well as City’s clash with United, Tottenham play Brentford for a place in the final at Wembley on Sunday, April 25.
The final had originally been scheduled to take place in February, but was moved to April in the hope that more fans may be able to attend the match by that date.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
