Report - EFL 'confident' Portsmouth's season can continue during League One coronavirus crisis

Pompey are one of half-a-dozen League One outfits who have been forced to temporarily shutdown this month as they deal with Covid outbreaks in their ranks.

The Blues’ Boxing Day game against Swindon was called off as a result of a series of positive test results. Meanwhile, tonight’s trip to Bristol Rovers has also been a victim.

At present, the Blues are scheduled to return to action on Saturday, when they are due to travel to Accrington.

The first team reported back to training on Monday morning after a period away – minus the five players who tested positive for coronavirus after the victory at Hull.

However, chief executive Mark Catlin told The News on Sunday there were there’s no guarantees that game would go ahead as planned.

With five League One fixtures postponed on Saturday due to Covid issues and another seven called off tonight – including Pompey’s trip to Rovers –

half of the 24 third-tier fixtures that were set to take place over the Christmas period have now been postponed.

But Sky Sports claim that the EFL remain ‘confident’ that the season can continue without the introduction of a circuit-breaker.

It’s understood the current campaign was scheduled to allow for multiple postponements.

There is currently enough flexibility to complete the fixture list – even if it means sides such as Pompey being made to play further midweek games between now and the end of the season.

However, the Sky Sports report suggests that should more fixtures fall victim to postponements – whether due to Covid outbreaks or bad weather –

then the schedule may not have room to accommodate all the outstanding fixtures.

The EFL are understood to have written to all clubs in recent days asking them to redouble their efforts when it comes to Coronavirus protocols, and have advised that further precautions should now be taken.

These include limiting the time players and staff spend in indoor spaces such as gyms, canteens and changing rooms and to travel in individual cars rather than buses to away fixtures.

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