The surge in coronavirus cases has already put paid to Brighton and Hove Albon v Tottenham Hotspur in Gameweek 16 and now another upcoming Premier League match is in doubt.
It’s the Gameweek 17 clash between Brentford and Manchester United that’s at risk at the time of writing, following an outbreak of Covid-19 among the Red Devils’ first-team players and staff.
United confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that they were in talks with the Premier League as to whether it was safe for Tuesday’s game in west London to go ahead.
The bad news may not end there, with the managers of Brighton and Aston Villa confirming a handful of positive cases at their own clubs.
WHAT IS THE LATEST REGARDING BRENTFORD V MAN UTD?
A club statement from United on Wednesday read as follows:
“Manchester United can confirm that following PCR test confirmation of yesterday’s positive LFT Covid-19 cases among the first-team staff and players, the decision has been taken to close down first-team operations at the Carrington Training Complex for 24 hours, to minimise risk of any further infection. Individuals who tested positive are isolating per Premier League protocols.
“Given THE cancellation of training and disruption to the squad, and with the health of players and staff the priority, the Club is in discussion with the Premier League whether it is safe for Tuesday’s fixture against Brentford to continue, both from a Covid infection and player preparation perspective.
“Team and staff travel to London will be deferred pending the result of that discussion.”
ARE THERE ANY OTHER GAMEWEEK 17 MATCHES AT RISK?
LEICESTER CITY V TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
With Spurs badly hit by Covid-19 last week and Leicester City confirming that eight players had succumbed to the virus or general illness problems ahead of the weekend, Thursday’s meeting between the two clubs at the King Power Stadium initially looked in some threat.
However, the Foxes still fulfilled their Gameweek 16 fixture against Newcastle without fuss and Spurs actually returned to training on Sunday.
Just when things were looking up, reports emerged on Monday that a further positive case had been confirmed among the Lilywhites’ first-team squad and that a wider outbreak had occurred across the under-23s camp.
NORWICH CITY V ASTON VILLA
There are Covid cases on both sides, although there was little indication from either manager in Monday’s press conferences that Tuesday’s match at Carrow Road was at risk.
Christos Tzolis is the Canaries’ only affected player, while Steven Gerrard said that Villa have got “a couple of cases on the playing side and a couple of cases on the staff side”. The Villans’ head coach wouldn’t name names due to “medical confidentiality”.
Sunday’s recovery training session at Villa was cancelled but the game, for now at least, is expected to go ahead.
BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION v WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS
Graham Potter faced the media on Monday afternoon and reported “three or four” positive cases, again without identifying the players affected.
“We have a combination of injury and covid. We are around three or four and that is something we have to deal with. We are just checking to make sure it is at that number.
“We have had tests today and make a decision as to whether we do another tomorrow. We just want to make sure it does not get too serious and more than three and four.” – Graham Potter
Albion reporter Andy Naylor suggests that “at least one of the positive tests” is not among the players who were already injured, suspended or doubts for the visit of Wolves.
Again, Wednesday’s match at the Amex is on as it stands but it’s a situation to monitor ahead of the FPL deadline.
MANCHESTER UNITED v BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION (GAMEWEEK 18)
If Brentford v Manchester United was to fall by the wayside, regardless of what happens with Brighton v Wolves, then the Gameweek 18 clash between Ralf Rangnick’s troops and Albion on Saturday lunchtime would be the next cause for concern, following as it does only four days after the two clubs’ Gameweek 17 fixtures.
IMPACT ON FPL
With Brighton v Chelsea, Chelsea v Arsenal, Brighton v Spurs and Burnley v Spurs already outstanding matches thanks to a combination of Covid, the FIFA Club World Cup and inclement weather, any further Gameweek 17 postponements would add to the pool of fixtures that will form Double Gameweeks in the future.
As discussed previously, we won’t get one of those this calendar year – but results in the EFL Cup quarter-finals could have a say in determining whether Gameweek 21 becomes a double (or triple…).
As for the here and now, saving FPL transfers until as close to the Gameweek 17 deadline as possible is obviously advisable for starters, with more press conferences to come on Tuesday and further news expected on the Brentford v United game at the very least.
Splitting the captaincy and vice-captaincy between players involved in different games is common sense at the best of times and even more so when entire fixtures are at risk, while anyone having the fortune of being able to roll transfers – rather than go for ‘luxury’ short-term punts – would be best advised to do so as the number of coronavirus cases only looks set to rise further as we approach Christmas.
Avoiding triple-ups on one club and ensuring a full playing bench are other coping strategies discussed in Do I Not Like Orange’s Hot Topic but other than that, of course, the situation is out of our hands.
