Tottenham hit by Covid-19 outbreak ahead of busy festive season
Tottenham’s preparations for the hectic festive schedule have been rocked by an outbreak of Covid-19 at the club
Up to six Tottenham first-team players and two members of backroom staff are believed to have tested positive for Covid, and Spurs are waiting for the results of PCR tests to confirm the extent of the problem.
Spurs need to beat Rennes, who have already topped the group, to reach the knockouts, before facing Brighton on Sunday, and further Premier League matches against Leicester and Liverpool next week.
The 10-day period of self-isolation for anyone who tests positive means Spurs’ players hit by the outbreak are set to miss their next three games.
All UEFA group-stage matches must be completed by December 31, which would leave Spurs with no obvious time to fulfil the Rennes fixture, if delayed.
After facing Rennes, Antonio Conte’s side return to Premier League action with a trip to Brighton on Sunday, before they travel to Leicester City next Thursday and host Liverpool on December 19.
UEFA’s guidelines state a match is only in jeopardy if a team have fewer than 13 players available, or no registered goalkeeper.
In the Premier League, the 2021-22 handbook states permission will not be granted to postpone a league match if a club has 14 or more players on its squad list available.
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However, postponing league games is taken on a case-by-case basis and the decision would be made by the Premier League board if a request is received from a club.
On Monday, the Premier League confirmed there had been 12 positive tests across two rounds of testing between November 29 and December 5.
That was the highest total for a week this season since August 9-15 (16 positive), while the week of November 22-28 there were seven positive tests.
The Premier League initially uses lateral flow tests, and anyone who tests positive will then take a PCR test to confirm the result.
The timing of the outbreak is deeply frustrating for Conte, who is not believed to be among those to have returned a positive test.
The head coach has guided Spurs to three straight wins in the top flight, and to within two points of fourth place, and his side were building momentum ahead of a packed run of games that also includes the Carabao Cup quarter-final against West Ham on December 22.
Clubs can appeal to the Premier League if they feel unable to fulfil fixtures due to Covid outbreaks. A final decision would be made by the Premier League board, with a handful of matches postponed due to Covid last season.
Spurs already have a game in hand in the League after last month’s visit to Burnley was called off at the 11th-hour due to heavy snowfall.
