It has been confirmed that another game has been postponed, with the Newcastle United match off against Southampton due to the myriad injuries and Covid cases which are leaving Eddie Howe with a severely depleted squad. This is the second consecutive Magpies match to have been delayed in recent days with their away fixture at Everton on Thursday 30th December also called off.
Newcastle United Match Off Against Southampton
Southampton ‘Frustrated’
According to Sky Sports News, Southampton have been in touch with the Premier League to explain their frustrations at the timing of the postponement as irritation grows among the football fraternity over the lateness of games being called off.
The English Football League have just announced that matchday Coronavirus testing will no longer take place in a bid to combat the issue and reduce its prevalence.
Southampton’s concerns lie around a possible lack of transparency over how many players are injured and how many have tested positive with fears mounting that teams might be using Covid cases as a reason to get games called off during injury crises.
Premier League Confirm Postponement
On New Year’s Eve, the Premier League confirmed that they had accepted Newcastle’s request for the match to be called off “as the club do not have the required number of players available for the match (13 outfield players and one goalkeeper)”.
The Premier League have also acknowledged that clarity is important but maintain the following: “postponements sometimes have to be made at short notice, as safety is our priority”.
Newcastle Struggling With Numbers
When Newcastle played Manchester United on December 27th they were unlucky not to come away with a victory after the 1-1 draw but the signs were already there that numbers were quickly reducing. Eddie Howe was only able to name eight substitutes for the game including two keepers meaning they were one short of the maximum that can be used for a Premier League match.
Recent injuries have added to the woes, with Allan Saint-Maximin, Ryan Fraser and Callum Wilson all new additions to the list during the United game and leaving Howe scratching around for a competitive squad.
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