Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley hopeful AFC Wimbledon game will go ahead amid Covid cases within club

Danny Cowley is hopeful Pompey will be able to fulfil their League One trip to AFC Wimbledon on Saturday.
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That’s after the Blues boss revealed new cases of coronavirus has been recorded ‘within the organisation’.

For confidentiality reasons, Cowley did not want to disclose if any of this playing staff had been infected by the virus as the country sees a surge in Covid numbers amid the Omicron variant.

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But on the same day that both the club and the EFL introduced new protocols which aim to limit the spread of the disease, Cowley said he and his staff were ‘desperate’ to face AFC Wimbledon at Plough Lane.

Pompey boss Danny Cowley.Pompey boss Danny Cowley.
Pompey boss Danny Cowley.

Speaking ahead of the schedule game, he told The News: ‘We’re absolutely hopeful that it will because we love football.

‘The weekend is not the same without football.

'I can just imagine all of those people if the game wasn't on they'd have to go Christmas shopping - and me being one of them!

'So, we're desperate for the game to be on.

'Of course we're nervous as a consequence of all the games that we're seeing being postponed.’

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Sheffield Wednesday’s home against Accrington and Crewe’s visit to Gillingham have already been called off due to cases numbers within the Owls and Gills camps.

The EFL’s newly-released guidelines recommend that clubs will be expected to play where it has 14 players including a goalkeeper available from the Club’s registered squad list.

Under 21 players not on the squad list but have played one League match are also included, while any other contracted player not on the squad list but otherwise would have been eligible to play also qualifies.

Confirming cases within Pompey, Cowley added: 'We've had some positive cases within the organisation.

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'You'll respect for confidentiality reasons we can't say anything more than that, but we have had some cases within the organisation and as always we will follow the necessary protocols.

'Those people have had lateral flow tests and are now self-isolating.

‘As a consequence of what's happening nationwide, we're now following the new guidelines that have been given to us by the government and the EFL.’