EFL FEAR SHUTDOWN AS SURGE IN CASES HITS 112

EFL bosses are facing the growing prospect of a shutdown after an alarming increase in Covid cases.

The EFL have revealed 112 positive cases from the latest round of testing, with the majority from League One and Two, as the pandemic sweeps through football.

Dozens of games have had to be called off and there are worries

that the bottom two divisions will struggle to cope and the season could again be halted.

The Premier League has written to all of its clubs with an urgent reminder to enforce strict protocols, while the FA Cup is facing a chaotic third round weekend with postponements and Covid outbreaks.

But the immediate fear is in the EFL and, while they say they are “confident” the season can continue, their medical advisers Dr Richard Higgins and Dr Subhashis Basu issued a joint statement pointing to the new coronavirus variant as the cause of the surge.

They said: “The results reflect the current speed at which the virus is spreading amid the emergence of a new w variant.”

Many Championship clubs have been testing throughout the past nine months, while the entire EFL will switch to o a twice-weekly testing regime from next week.

The Premier League has urged clubs to hammer home the protocols amid fears that some players may have become complacent.

The message is that enforcement is largely down to the clubs by imposing fines or bans on players who break the rules with parties and gatherings.