A coronavirus outbreak at Tottenham Hotspur has hampered Spurs’ already busy Christmas schedule – and there could be more disruptions to come.
Antonio Conte told reporters on Wednesday (December 8) that 13 of his staff are currently out with Covid-19, forcing their Europa Conference League game against Stade Rennais and Premier League game against Brighton to be postponed.
Our friends at PickGuru have assessed what will happen if these games are called off and when they are likely to be replayed if so.
Will the Leicester game be postponed?
Spurs were supposed to have three matches within seven days. Leicester await on Thursday (December 16), but with eight first-team players reportedly infected and a minimum of a 10-day isolation period, there’s a strong chance that won’t be played either.
Last season games were cancelled after fewer infections, but the Premier League works on a game-by-game basis, so there are no assurances in the rule book.
In FPL, postponements can work in your favour. Blank gameweeks can be your friend if you’re lucky enough to have not many players affected, and if you play your cards right, you can time your picks to get the most out of the double gameweeks.
When will the double gameweeks come?
Predicting exactly when they will be rearranged is a bit like picking a needle out of a haystack. However, due to the busy schedule over Christmas, along with some of the upcoming cup commitments, we are fairly confident that at this stage it won’t be any time soon.
The Lilywhites already have a game to rearrange after snow interrupted their match against Burnley at Turf Moor. Brighton too, as Chelsea are playing in the Club World Cup during gameweek 24.
A busy Christmas schedule means the earliest slot could be on gameweek 21, though this would depend on Spurs losing against West Ham in the EFL quarter-final. Gameweek 22 is the next option, but also relies on either side not requiring a replay in the FA Cup.
Gameweek 23 is not a possibility as there is an international break afterwards and gameweek 24 is already a midweek fixture.
Now that Spurs cannot qualify for the Europa Conference League, gameweek 25 looks the most likely destination for the start of the postponed games, unless there are some surprises in the cup.
Keep your eyes peeled for any announcements and to see if Tottenham can get through in the EFL Cup. If they do, then expect some tasty double gameweeks for the club from February onwards.
