English Premier LeagueManchester City: What Next After Everton Match Postponement?
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Manchester City COVID-19 outbreak saw Monday’s clash with Everton called off after a number of staff and players tested positive for coronavirus. What happens next?

City1300x164 Four hours before kick-off at Goodison Park, Man City were forced to postpone their Premier League match with Everton as a result of positive coronavirus tests from the team players and staff.

Since the new beginning of the campaign, two English top-flight games have been called off due to the virus with Newcastle United previously having had to close down their training ground and postpone their match with Aston Villa on December 4th.

But, what happens next for Guardiola’s side with the season having entered a very busy period of fixtures across the domestic competitions?

With the coronavirus outbreak confirmed, Manchester City has taken immediate action by closing their first-team training ground at the City Football Academy for “an indeterminate period”.

There is also fear that the first-team security bubble has been compromised, leading to a risk that the virus could spread further among the squad and the backroom staff. According to the club, the first-team training will not resume until everyone in the bubble has been re-tested with those tests set to take place on 29th December.

However, there are concerns that the positive tests may stem back to the team’s recent trip to London for the Carabao Cup quarter-final with Arsenal on 22nd December though a club spokesman insists there was no suggestion that the Gunners protocol was not safe.

Will any other City’s match be Postponed?

City is set to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on January 3rd. No decision has been made yet on whether the game will go ahead or it will be postponed as well.  Three days later, the match is followed by the Carabao Cup semi-final against Man United at Old Trafford.

Recall in the case of Spurs, they were given a bye earlier in the Carabao Cup campaign after their third-round tie was called off when a number of Leyton Orient players tested positive for the virus. However, EFL rules state that byes are only given up until the fourth round of the competition when clubs cannot commit to a fixture on health grounds.

Regardless, there is very little room in the calendar for fixture re-arrangements with City still in two domestic cup competitions and the Champions League last 16.

They already have two re-arranged Premier League fixtures against Aston Villa and now Everton to squeeze into the schedule at some point too.