Leeds vs Aston Villa Premier League match postponed due to Covid-19 | Football News

Leeds’ game with Aston Villa on Tuesday is the latest Premier League game to be postponed.

A combination of Covid-19 cases and injuries in the Leeds squad saw them request a postponement, which was granted by the Premier League.

Leeds’ match against Liverpool on Boxing Day had already been postponed due to the virus.

The club said in a statement: “While there have been no new Covid cases in the playing squad, the majority of those who tested positive prior to the Liverpool game are not yet out of isolation.

“Therefore, we still do not have enough recognised first-team players to meet the Premier League requirements for the fixture.”

The Premier League said it accepted Leeds’ request for a postponement as did it not have 13 outfield players and one goalkeeper available for the match.

A Premier League statement read: “Following a request from Leeds United, the Premier League board met today [Sunday] and regrettably agreed to postpone the club’s home fixture against Aston Villa, due to be played at 5.30pm on Tuesday, December 28.

“The board was able to make its decision in advance of the match to give clarity to the affected clubs and their fans. We apologise for the inconvenience and disruption caused to supporters’ festive plans.”

Aston Villa have also been impacted by Covid-19. Manager Steven Gerrard will miss their Boxing Day match against Chelsea after testing positive while last weekend’s game against Burnley was postponed two hours before kick-off.

What are the Premier League rules around postponements?

The 2021/22 Premier League handbook includes Covid protocols, and states the Premier League’s board will “only permit the rearrangement or postponement of a league match in exceptional circumstances”.

The board make calls on a case-by-case basis, and by way of guidance the Premier League says permission for a postponement will not be granted if a club have 14 or more players from their squad list available.