Break cut short for City and Hammers
MANCHESTER CITY and West Ham face having to interrupt the winter break to play their rearranged Premier League fixture next week.
Sunday’s game between the two at the Etihad was postponed owing to concerns over supporter safety caused by Storm Ciara.
The clubs held talks with the Premier League yesterday and it is set to be confirmed today that the game will be played next Tuesday or Wednesday.
The main problem is City’s busy fixture list, with Pep Guardiola’s side having two league games to reschedule as they compete for the Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup. The pressure will increase if they beat Sheffield Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals of the FA Cup.
The possibility of playing West
Ham this weekend was quickly ruled out yesterday because Guardiola and Hammers manager David Moyes had already given their players the week off as they make the most of English football’s first winter break. It now looks like being cut short in an embarrassment for the Premier League, who have urged clubs to adhere to the new two-week hiatus.
Liverpool have already been forced to make a stand and put out a shadow team for their FA Cup fourth-round replay victory over Shrewsbury last week, with manager Jurgen Klopp adamant that neither he nor his players would compromise by interrupting their break.
City have given raheem Sterling permission to go on holiday, indicating that he will be fit to face real Madrid in the Champions League later this month.
Guardiola has given his players the green light to leave the country this week, although they may have to return sooner than expected once their game against the Hammers is confirmed for next week.
Sterling injured his hamstring at Tottenham on February 2, making him a doubt for several fixtures, including the trip to the Bernabeu for the Champions League last-16 first leg against Zinedine Zidane’s side on February 26.
Sterling suffered a grade one hamstring strain, the least severe, which has an expected recovery time of four weeks.