Manchester City nervously wait on new Covid test results that could spark Premier League chaos

The Premier League is braced for Manchester City to reveal the full extent of their Covid-19 outbreak amid fears of fixture chaos in England’s top flight.

There are calls for the season to be paused for two weeks in a ‘circuit breaker’ shutdown following a spike in positive cases among players and staff at a number of Premier League clubs.

It comes after at least five City players tested positive for the virus, forcing the postponement of their trip to Everton on Monday and leaving Sunday’s game with Chelsea in jeopardy.

The full extent of the Covid-19 outbreak at Manchester City is set to be revealed on Wednesday afternoon with at least five players already known to have tested positive 

Further fixture postponements could cause a logistical headache for Pep Guardiola’s team

All City’s players and staff have been re-tested with the club set to announce the full extent of positive cases within their camp on Wednesday afternoon.

If the number of positives has increased, it will only strengthen calls for the season to be suspended, causing a significant pile-up of fixtures for City and other clubs well into the new year.

West Bromwich Albion manager Sam Allardyce is among those backing a two-week shutdown of the Premier League, though others including Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer want to play on amid worries over fixture chaos.

Meanwhile, a row is brewing over the postponement of City’s game at Goodison Park – the second Premier League fixture to be called off because of Covid this season after Aston Villa vs Newcastle earlier this month.

Everton reportedly ‘feel disrespected’ by City and the Premier League after they were left out of the consultation process that led to the match being called off just five hours before kick-off.

City stars Kyle Walker and Gabriel Jesus have tested positive as well as three unnamed players

Everton have been left ‘feeling disrespected’ following the postponement of the City match

They have demanded ‘full disclosure’ of the information that led to the decision with The Athletic reporting that Everton were given no say in the matter.

Premier League rules specify that a fixture should take place if the two teams can call on at least 14 players from their squad list.

But Monday night’s match was postponed because of fears the new strain of the virus could be spread among players and officials if it had gone ahead. Everton were expecting 2,000 spectators at the match.

City players Kyle Walker and Gabriel Jesus were already self-isolating before three further unnamed players returned positive results in the hours before the Everton match.

Players underwent the first of three tests in the car park of City’s Football Academy on Tuesday with additional tests on Wednesday.

The full extent of the outbreak has now become clear with further rounds of testing planned ahead of Sunday’s planned trip to Chelsea.

The game at Stamford Bridge remains in severe doubt with any postponement intensifying a logistical nightmare for City amid an already congested fixture schedule in 2021.

Guardiola’s side are already two matches behind some top-flight teams and will compete in the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Champions League in the new year.

The City outbreak started in a similar fashion to the one at Newcastle United earlier this month with two players initially contracting the virus.

City’s players line up ahead of their Boxing Day fixture at home to Newcastle United

But those numbers at Newcastle soon soared well into double figures after the same re-testing process that City have embarked on revealed more cases.

Sources at City fear the variant of Covid-19 the players are believed to have contracted in London ahead of their Carabao Cup quarter-final with Arsenal last week is more virulent than the original strain.

It came against a backdrop of significant concern that the football season could be halted amid a surge in positive cases in the Premier League and the EFL.

The latest round of testing at the 20 Premier League clubs, held between December 21 and 27, produced 18 positives, the highest number yet this season.

Sheffield United and Fulham are known to be two of the clubs where positive results have been returned.

There have also been a number of positive cases in the Sheffield United camp in recent weeks

The previous round of tests between December 14-20 returned just seven positives.

It has led to informal discussions among Premier League clubs over a two-week ‘circuit breaker’ pause in the season, an idea backed by Allardyce on Tuesday night.

Premier League Covid protocol enforcement teams have warned clubs to tighten training ground protocols following a number of reported breaches in recent weeks.

However, others including United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville are against a two-week pause.

Solskjaer said he ‘can’t see the benefit’ of stopping the season and questioned when the backlog of fixtures would be played amid an already congested schedule.

‘It’s not something I’ve thought about a lot. I think our players have been really good in following protocols and rules,’ Solskjaer said after United’s 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

‘That’s part of the job here, that we as clubs follow the protocols given. I can’t see the benefit in having a circuit break, whatever it’s going to be called.

‘Because when are we going to play the games? We all know this year is so difficult, but I don’t think stopping the games is going to make a big, big change.’

Neville tweeted: ‘Football has proven through the last 6 months it can operate safely. It was right to be cautious and concerned through the first lockdown when the virus was new and unknown.

‘It shouldn’t stop now in my opinion. This virus isn’t going anywhere in 2-4 weeks!!’

But Allardyce was of a different opinion: ‘Everyone’s safety is more important than anything else.

West Brom boss Sam Allardyce has called for a two-week ‘circuit breaker’ in English football

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ‘can’t see the benefit’ of pausing the Premier League for two weeks as a ‘circuit breaker’ following a spike in positive Covid-19 cases among players and staff

Gary Neville believes a two-week shutdown of the Premier League would achieve little amid a spike in positive coronavirus cases inside top-flight clubs

Responding to Sam Allardyce’s comments in favour of a two-week pause, Neville tweeted that football shouldn’t stop and that football has proven it can continue in a safe manner

‘When I listen to the news the variant virus transmits quicker than the original virus [so] we can only do the right thing which is have a circuit break.

‘I am 66 years old and the last thing I want to do is catch Covid. I’m very concerned for myself and football in general.

‘If that’s what needs to be done we need to do it. We had one positive this week and it seems to be creeping around no matter how hard we try.’

Sheffield United and Fulham reported multiple positive tests, though the Blades’ match against Burnley on Tuesday still went ahead.

There are concerns over whether Fulham’s visit to Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday will take place.

Covid has also taken a firm grip further down the pyramid with seven of 12 scheduled matches in League One on Tuesday night postponed.