Despite the COVID-19 outbreak in the squad and staff that has resulted in the cancellation of two fixtures, Tottenham Hotspur is looking ahead to Thursday’s Premier League game against Leicester City with optimism. That said, it remains to be seen whether Spurs want to recapture the field.
The club returned to training on Monday at the Hotspur Way Training Ground, a reason to hope for the team’s chances of playing on Thursday. However, according to a report by Dan Kilpatrick of the Evening Standard, areas of the training ground remained closed and squads depleted as positive tests and tight contact procedures forced individuals into isolation.
While the restrictions are reason for caution, the report says that the club are preparing as if Thursday’s game would take place.
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But COVID tests are being conducted daily and the club is not out of the woods yet. Based on The Telegraph’s Matt’s Law, at least one player tested positive on Monday, and there was also a separate “major outbreak” in the under-23 team.
Will Tottenham play on Thursday?
The Telegraph reports that a worst-case scenario on Thursday could see Tottenham manager Antonio Conte with at least 13 players available to choose from. By league guide quoted by Sky Sports, the Premier League allows postponement “in exceptional circumstances”, but not in the case of 14 or more players.
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If Thursday’s game against Leicester City is called off, that would mean Spurs need to make up three Premier League games, after a snowy trip to Burnley on November 28. That suggests an increasing order. high for a team Tottenham are still hoping for. reached the top four positions. Spurs are now just three points off fourth place, which would provide the final automatic spot for the lucrative UEFA Champions League.
With more than half of the season still to go, there will be opening dates for matches coming up, especially with teams like Burnley and Brighton not participating in European leagues. However, if Sunday’s scheduled game against Liverpool is also brought into question, it could prove more challenging as Liverpool enter multiple competitive fronts. Leicester City are expected to play in the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League in February.
Tottenham’s Conference League match canceled
Before the Premier League game against Brighton was postponed on December 12, Tottenham’s COVID-19 outbreak led to the cancellation of the final group stage match in the Europa Conference League on December 9.
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That match was scheduled with Group G winners Stade Rennais, and third-placed Spurs going into the group stage final hoping a win would see them overtake Dutch side Vitesse in second place. two and advance to the knockout stages of the Conference League.
With a decision yet to be made on whether that match should be replayed, UEFA included Tottenham’s name in the Conference League qualifying draw alongside Vitesse. UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body is working to determine next steps and it is unclear whether Spurs will be given a promotion or if they will have to give up.
Tottenham will host that Conference League match in London, and after the game was scratched, the club took the food that had been ordered and donated it to those in need. The same goes for meals booked for the trip facing Brighton.
