Play… or else! Premier League clubs warned that matches will NOT be called off if their team suffers Covid-19 outbreak in 2020-21 season with games to go ahead even if squads are down to 14 players (and that includes Under 21s)
- Premier League clubs will be forced to play even if squad suffers Covid outbreak
- Postponement requests will be rejected unless fewer than 14 players available
- Any youngsters who have played a minute of senior football should be promoted
- The Premier League will also refuse to postpone if players breach the protocols
Premier League clubs have been told they will be forced to fulfil fixtures in the event of Covid-19 outbreaks among their squads this season.
The Premier League’s determination to get the congested 2020-21 campaign completed on time is such that clubs have been told requests for postponements will be rejected unless they have fewer than 14 players available, and that they will be obliged to utilise their Under 21 squads to ensure matches can be played.
The Premier League are yet to release the collated results of the Covid-19 testing that has been taking place at their 20 clubs during pre-season, but there was a rash of positive tests following players’ summer holidays with at least 14 players across 12 clubs contracting the virus last month.
Premier League clubs will be forced to play even if they have Covid-19 outbreaks in squad
That sparked fears the start of the season this weekend was in jeopardy. But given the Premier League’s extreme reluctance to call off matches and the high bar they have set for sanctioning postponements, a delay seems unlikely.
In guidance sent to clubs, seen by Sportsmail, it is spelt out by the Premier League that any youngster who has played a minute of first-team football for a Premier League, EFL or overseas club should be promoted to the senior squad to make up the numbers if necessary.
The Premier League will also refuse requests to postpone games if any player has breached their Covid-19 protocols or is undertaking a period of government-mandated isolation following an overseas trip.
Clubs’ requests for postponements will be rejected unless they have fewer than 14 players
If any club refuses to fulfil a fixture the Premier League will convene an independent disciplinary panel to hear the case with the usual sanctions at their disposal ranging from a warning to fines and possible points deductions for repeat offenders.
The Premier League’s insistence that matches continue to be played in almost all circumstances risks raising issues about the integrity of the competition if some clubs are forced to regularly field weakened teams, but given their contractual obligation to get the 2020-21 campaign completed on time, they have little choice.
As Sportsmail revealed last week the Premier League have set a back-stop date of August 15 next year to finish the season without curtailment, although any extension beyond the scheduled final day of May 23 would be fraught with financial and legal problems, particularly given the potential for a clash with the rescheduled European Championship.
Premier League will also refuse requests to postpone if a player breaches Covid-19 protocols
The Premier League’s demands that clubs play in almost all circumstances are less onerous than those of UEFA, who stipulated that Champions League and Europa League fixtures this summer would continue if both clubs could field 13 players.
UEFA also ruled that if any club could not fill a 13-man squad they would forfeit the match and lose 3-0, a dramatic stance that has yet to be contemplated by the Premier League.
All 92 matches of Project Restart took place as scheduled last season despite some clubs having multiple positive tests within their squads, but other sports have not fared so well, with four Super League matches postponed since rugby league resumed last month. The Premier League are expected to begin publishing the clubs’ anonymised Covid test results ahead of Saturday’s big kick, which begins with Arsenal’s visit to Fulham.