ORIENT POSITIVE TESTS LEAVE SPURS GAME IN SERIOUS DOUBT

LEYTON Orient’s Carabao Cup tie with Tottenham was last night in serious doubt after a number of players at the League Two club – thought to be in double figures – tested positive for coronavirus.

The O’s were set to host the Premier League side in the third round tonight, but have closed their Breyer Group Stadium and training ground until further notice.

‘Following our game on Saturday, Covid-19 testing was conducted on all of our first-team playing squad,’ said Orient in a club statement. ‘Today we received formal confirmation which shows a number of our first-team squad have tested positive for Covid-19.

‘We have informed the EFL and Tottenham and will make a further announcement shortly.’

EFL clubs no longer have mandatory weekly tests, as is still the case in the Premier League – which announced three positive results in their latest round of tests, with one of them Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan – but it is understood Spurs paid for Orient to test their squad and staff.

The Orient statement added: ‘We have also informed Mansfield, Plymouth and Oldham, our three most recent opponents, prior to the public release of this information.’

Plymouth have arranged a ‘precautionary round of Covid-19 testing’ ahead of Saturday’s game with

Shrewsbury. The EFL was awaiting results of talks between club medics and Public Health England before deciding if tonight’s tie could go ahead. There is reportedly no protocol in EFL regulations for whether the match should be forfeited or rescheduled if it cannot be played as planned.

The fixture is an emotional one given the clubs’ connection with Justin Edinburgh, the former Spurs star who died last June at the age of 49 following a cardiac arrest having managed the O’s back into the Football League.

Spurs are planning to auction off their shirts from the tie to benefit the JE3 Foundation, set up in Edinburgh’s memory to support heart charities.