Preston on red alert after spike in Covid-19 cases leads to new protocols at EFL clubs

The EFL have announced the introduction of ‘red’ protocols at training grounds in the wake of a number of matches being postponed due to players testing positive for the virus.

PNE’s visit to Millwall was an early casualty, tomorrow’s schedule clash at The Den postponed on Wednesday after the hosts reported several Covid cases.

There was a zoom call of club doctors from the 72 EFL teams yesterday.

Much of the protocol announced by the EFL was used when football restarted in June 2020 after the early months of the pandemic.

This time there will be daily testing, subject to the supply chain availability of lateral flow test.

A negative test must be given the day before a game for a player to feature.

The EFL’s red protocol includes physical distancing measures at training grounds and careful use of indoor areas. Clubs are asked that their players must not care share to training.

It is advised that players in key positions – goalkeepers for example – are not sat on the coach together and thus not deemed close contacts in the event of a positive test.

Important clarification was given by the EFL on the number of players needed to fulfil fixtures.

If a club has 14 players, including a keeper available, that is deemed sufficient.

Those 14 players can be drawn from the squad which is registered with the EFL, from the Under-21 players who don’t have to be registered or any other player not on the squad list who would have been eligible to play,

The EFL said: “This guidance has been designed to help clubs ensure the safety of players and staff, while ensuring that the fixture schedule can be maintained wherever possible.”

There are fears that the Covid spike could see the season paused but the EFL and Premier League want to play on if possible.

Brentford boss Thomas Frank called for top-flight games to be postponed this weekend in the hope things had eased by Boxing Day.

There might come a point where the leagues are suspended but the hope is the daily testing can swiftly detect cases and isolate them.

North End’s next scheduled game is against Sheffield United on Boxing Day at Deepdale.

They then play West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns on December 30, before facing Stoke City on January 3. That’s followed by the FA Cup tie with Cardiff on Sunday, January 9.

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