Everton had a prior request to suspend the game dismissed on Thursday despite boss Rafael Benitez alleging he only had nine outfield players fit; Liverpool vs Leeds and Watford vs Wolves have already been canceled. Everton had a prior request to defer the game opposed on Thursday despite boss Rafael Benitez contending he only had nine outfield players fit. While there have not been further Covid-19 cases at Everton, there have been numerous players incapable to train who were initially on the ‘fit list’. An announcement from the Premier League on Friday explained the board had evaluated the decision “following further injuries to their squad”. “They [the Premier League board] inferred that the club will not be able to fulfill their fixture this weekend as an outcome of an inadequate number of players ready to play due to Covid-19 cases and injuries,” the announcement added.
Four Chelsea players including Lukaku, Werner test positive for COVID-19
This morning the board was able to make its judgment in advance of Boxing Day to provide clarity to clubs and their fans. We regret the complication and disruption affected to those supporters’ festive plans. Benitez explained that he was “surprised” the game had been predicted to go ahead, after two Boxing Day matches – Liverpool v Leeds and Wolves v Watford – were discontinued due to rising Covid cases. His team survived a Covid outbreak following the game against Chelsea on December 16, while numerous top players comprising Richarlison and Andros Townsend were injured. “With the injuries and the positives that we have, we were expecting that the game would be postponed. “Like in a lot of other games [to be postponed] to try and keep the integrity of the league because you are losing so many players. The concerns of managers and captains were heard by the Premier League at special meetings on Thursday,” Benitez stated on Friday.
