Premier League not yet pausing amid COVID concerns

Press Association

Premier League not yet pausing season despite COVID-19 issues, concerns

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Dec 20, 2021 1:33 PM ET

Ahead of the weekend it was reported the English Premier League could potentially pause its season Monday and before Christmas because of COVID-19 issues and setbacks impacting multiple clubs. A total of six games were postponed due to virus outbreaks, and multiple individuals questioned the decision to play any match as the Omicron variant seemingly spreads like wildfire across the league.

The show, however, goes on for now.

As Kaveh Solhekol noted for Sky Sports, the Premier League is currently maintaining its schedule, where possible, and not yet embracing a full pause. Much like with the NHL, NBA and NFL, matches will be shifted on the calendar as needed, and the Football Association confirmed later in the day that replays for FA Cup third- and fourth-round games won't occur to aid with schedule congestion caused by postponements.

BREAKING

FA confirm they have scrapped third and fourth round replays in the FA Cup for this season pic.twitter.com/KouthAj8jb
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) December 20, 2021

"The feeling is, if it's safe to play games we should carry on playing games," Solhekol explained. "One very senior executive at a Premier League club said to me: 'If people are working in supermarkets, driving buses and going to work as normal, then footballers should go to work as well.'"

| A senior executive at a Premier League club said:

"If people are working in supermarkets, driving buses and going to work as normal, then footballers should go to work as well."

[via @SkyKaveh] pic.twitter.com/q1uyzP15lx
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) December 20, 2021

There continues to be confusion about when matches will be postponed. For example, Chelsea recorded seven positive COVID-19 cases among first-team players but nevertheless had to face Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday.

"We were put in a huge risk of health and safety to the players, not just because of COVID but also physically," Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said after the scoreless draw. "I'm not sure if I'll catch COVID. Hopefully, I will not catch it."

A reported 77% of Premier League players are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19, per Melissa Reddy of The Independent:

Reported figures of double-jabbed players in the other major leagues:

Serie A - 98%
Ligue 1 - 95%
Bundesliga - 94%
La Liga - 90+ %
— Melissa Reddy (@MelissaReddy_) December 20, 2021

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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