Liverpool, Dec. 29 (BNA): Everton’s Premier League match against Newcastle United, today, Thursday, was postponed, after the visiting team said there were only insufficient players left to get the game done due to COVID-19 cases and injuries. .
This is the 16th Premier League game to be postponed due to COVID-19 cases and injuries this month, Reuters reports.
“The board has approved the request to postpone Newcastle United as the club does not have the required number of players available for the match due to COVID-19 cases and injuries,” the Premier League said in a statement.
Newcastle said a number of players and staff have returned positive results during routine PCR tests. Several players were injured too, with Callum Wilson being the last player to be sidelined for the foreseeable future.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said after Monday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United that they were “weak on the ground in terms of bodies” with Federico Fernandez, Jamal Lewis, Fabian Char, Paul Dummett, Alain Saint-Maximin and Ryan Fraser injured.
The Premier League only grants a reprieve if a club has fewer than 14 players – 13 off-field players and one goalkeeper – with the board examining applications on a case-by-case basis.
Newcastle is 19th with 11 points, while Everton is 15th with 19 points, after playing two fewer games after their matches against Leicester City and Burnley.