The Premier League and EFL have postponed all matches until April 3 at the earliest due to the threat of the coronavirus.
The Football Association has also postponed England’s international friendly matches against Italy and Denmark, scheduled for March 27 and 31 respectively.
The measure to postpone Premier League football was agreed at an “emergency club meeting” on Friday and in light of Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and Chelsea midfielder Callum Hodson-Odoi confirming they had tested positive for the virus.
The Arsenal head coach will self-isolate in line with government health guidelines and it is expected the first-team squad – along with coaching staff – will do the same; Arsenal’s game against Brighton on Saturday had already been postponed as a result.
The entire Everton first-team squad has been placed in isolation after a player reported coronavirus symptoms and Watford have cancelled training this week with several players informing Nigel Pearson they feel unwell.
Five members of staff at Bournemouth, including goalkeeper Artur Boruc, are self-isolating because they are displaying symptoms consistent with Covid-19. Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers confirmed on Thursday three of his players are being kept away from the rest of the squad after displaying coronavirus symptoms.
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The Premier League has now postponed its entire fixture list, becoming the latest sporting body to take action to combat the threat of coronavirus.
Many sporting events across Europe have already been postponed or played behind closed doors but several have still gone ahead in the United Kingdom, with the Cheltenham horse racing festival attracting capacity crowds across all four days.
On Thursday night, golf event The Players Championship was cancelled and it was confirmed the one-day international cricket series between Australia and New Zealand will be played behind closed doors.
