Premier League clubs push for Covid ‘firebreak’ over Christmas period

The Premier League could be gone until the middle of January

Premier League clubs are reportedly pushing for the postponement of all matches over the festive period as Covid cases spike sharply across the country. Outbreaks at several clubs have seen five top flight games called off in the last week, with Manchester United's game with Brighton on Saturday one of the latest confirmed postponements. Rearranging games in 2022 will be a headache for football's authorities having already made changes to accommodate the winter-time World Cup in Qatar, but clubs are now said to be putting pressure on the Premier League to introduce a 'firebreak'. According to the Manchester Evening News, clubs are proposing that games are called off from now until the FA Cup third round weekend, which begins on January 7. This would mean the Premier League only returns on the weekend of January 15. If approved, this would likely mean postponed games are rescheduled - at least in part - over the course of what was supposed to be a winter break in January and February. Brentford manager Thomas Frank was the first Premier League boss to publicly call for games to be postponed to combat the crisis. Speaking during his press conference on Thursday morning, the Dane said: "We think that we should postpone the full round of Premier League games for this weekend coming up. The Covid cases are going through the roof in all the Premier League clubs. Everyone is dealing with it, everyone has a problem at this moment in time. "To postpone this round, and also the Carabao Cup round, would give everyone a week at least to clean everything at the training grounds. It would break the chain in every club." Chelsea manager Emma Hayes also said football should postpone games after speaking openly about the mental strain her players were under during their Champions League elimination in Wolfsburg on Thursday night. Related links:

• Emma Hayes says Covid strain played its part in Chelsea’s Champions League exit
• Four more Premier League matches postponed due to Covid
• EFL clubs to implement ‘enhanced red protocols’ as Covid cases soar