VILLA’S COVID CUP CRISIS
● Major outbreak has showpiece tie on knife- edge ● Smith’s U23s will face Liverpool if game is played
ASTON VILLA could face Liverpool in the FA Cup tonight – but manager Dean Smith and his first- team players will not be there. The third- round tie hangs in the balance after a wave of positive Covid- 19 tests at the Midlands club. If it goes
ahead, boss Smith and his first- team stars will not be anywhere near Villa Park.
Smith, his assistants, medical staff and big names such as England international Jack Grealish will all be self- isolating, leaving Villa to take on Jurgen Klopp’s men with a bunch of kids.
Under- 23s coach Mark Delaney will pick from the youngsters available to him after test results come back this morning.
Any further positive results and the tie looks sure to be called off, leaving Villa almost certainly having to forfeit their place in a competition they have won seven times.
The FA stress that they would make every effort possible to reschedule the game before the next round. But that would appear impossible given the fixture congestion. Villa and the FA were in talks last night trying to come up with a solution to play the game after a “significant number of positive tests” forced the shutdown of their training complex.
The decision came just hours after Shrewsbury’s tie at Southampton bit the dust because the virus had hit the League One side’s squad and staff.
Villa players had no idea of the crisis that was about to engulf them when they reported for training on Monday morning.
They trained together on Tuesday before the whole Bodymoor Heath training complex was rocked by an unusually high return of positive tests. Next Wednesday’s league clash with Tottenham is also in doubt.