Leicester: Brendan Rodgers insists clash with Newcastle WILL go ahead despite Covid outbreak

Brendan Rodgers insists Leicester’s Premier League clash with Newcastle on Sunday will go ahead even though he has at least seven players unavailable amid a coronavirus outbreak at the club.

A combination of Covid-19 and other illnesses left the players, who included Ademola Lookman, Kelechi Iheanacho, Ayoze Perez and Daniel Amartey, unable to travel to Italy for Thursday’s 3-2 Europa League defeat by Napoli.

There are already doubts about whether next Thursday’s fixture with Tottenham, whose game at Brighton on Sunday has been postponed after eight players and five staff tested positive, will go ahead due to the situation at Spurs.

Brendan Rodgers insists Leicester’s league clash with Newcastle on Sunday will go ahead

But despite the uncertain situation at his own club, Rodgers continues to plan as though the Newcastle game will proceed as scheduled, though the players and staff were due to be tested again on Friday.

‘I want the players to play,’ said Rodgers. ‘We won’t find excuses unless we get to an absolutely critical stage. We want to play games. We will recover, and look to get back out there on Sunday.

‘We have always been vigilant. The club has been amazing. Before we arrived in Italy, in the space of a couple of days, we had three tests and we will have a test back in England.

Leicester crashed out of the Europa League on Thursday night after losing 3-2 to Napoli

‘Every measure has been put in place by the Premier League and the club. This is the nature of the virus. We will look to do everything we can to keep football going.’

Rodgers also paid tribute to the 600 Leicester fans who travelled to Naples to see their team consigned to the Europa Conference League.

The supporters were required by Italian authorities to take pre-arranged shuttle buses to the stadium but some of these were delayed, meaning many fans missed the four goals scored in the first half.

Rodgers added: ‘I’m devastated for them. They have followed us in Europe and given us great support. It was hard for us not to be able to get the result for them.’