Aston Villa have had games against Everton and Newcastle postponed due to the recent coronavirus outbreak in their squad.
A number of their players and staff are currently isolating due to Covid, although Birmingham Mail writer Ashley Preece has tweeted that the club have thanked their medical staff for helping to get the outbreak “under control”.
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Statement continued: "The Premier League, in consultation with its clubs, has enhanced its COVID-19 protocols, in addition to reimplementing a twice-weekly testing programme as the heath of players and staff remains the priority."
— Ashley Preece (@PreeceObserver) January 14, 2021
Aston Villa will now play Newcastle on Saturday, January 23 at 8pm at Villa Park. Villa have since thanked medical experts who have helped get outbreak under control. First-team players and staff – who are healthy and safe – will return to training on Sunday (January 17). #avfc
— Ashley Preece (@PreeceObserver) January 14, 2021
Football has mostly fared quite well since returning in the summer, with the season at points looking close to being suspended after the first wave of coronavirus in the UK last March.
There are clearly issues again now, however, despite the sport being able to continue through this latest lockdown, and one hopes Villa and other clubs can get this under control to avoid the game having to take another extended break.
The more games have to be delayed like this, the harder it will be for the season to carry on, but with mass vaccinations now underway, there is perhaps some hope that the season would not have to be paused for quite as long as last time.