Covid won’t halt Premier League

contracting the virus last month. That sparked fears that the start of the season this weekend was in jeopardy. But given the Premier League’s extreme reluctance to call off matches and the high bar they have set for sanctioning postponements, a delay seems unlikely. In guidance sent to clubs, seen by it is spelt out by the Premier League that any youngster who has played a minute of first-team football for a Premier League, EFL or overseas club should make up the numbers if necessary. The Premier League will also refuse requests to postpone games if any player has breached Covid-19 protocols or is in a period of Government-mandated isolation following an overseas trip. If any club refuses to fulfil a fixture, the Premier League will convene a disciplinary panel to hear the case with sanctions ranging from a warning to fines and points deductions for repeat offenders. The Premier League’s insistence that matches continue in almost all circumstances raises issues about the integrity of the competition if clubs are forced to regularly field weakened teams, but given their contractual obligation to get the campaign completed on time, they have little choice. The Premier League have set a back-stop date of August 15 next year to finish the season without curtailment, although any extension beyond the scheduled final day of May 23 would be fraught with financial and legal problems, given the potential for a clash with the rescheduled European Championship. The Premier League’s demands are still less onerous than those of UEFA, who stipulated that Champions League and Europa League fixtures this summer would continue if both clubs could field 13 players.