London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Premier League considers rules for unvaccinated players amid 90 new Covid cases

Premier League considers rules for unvaccinated players amid 90 new Covid cases

Premier League clubs have discussed creating separate rules for players yet to get vaccinated amid a record 90 new Covid cases
Premier League clubs have discussed driving up vaccination rates in their squads by creating separate rules for players yet to get a Covid-19 jab. On a day when it emerged that 16% of top-flight players are unvaccinated and a record 90 positive tests had been recorded among players and staff in the week up to last Sunday, a two-tier system was raised at an emergency meeting.

Proposals include unvaccinated players travelling separately to games, facing an additional check to get into stadiums and having meals away from vaccinated teammates. The moves are designed to guard against more fixtures being cancelled as the clubs decided to press on with the season.

A complication for the league is that under government guidelines unvaccinated players must isolate for 10 days if deemed a close contact of anyone who has tested positive, even if they produce negative results. This increases the likelihood of postponements by reducing the pool of players available to a club.

On Monday the league said that 77% of its players were double-jabbed and that 84% had received one, two or three vaccinations. On Friday Serie A said that 98% of its players had received two jabs.

The plans discussed by the Premier League’s clubs remain under consideration but it is expected that some form of differentiation for unvaccinated players will come into effect. The league has said it will publish updates on its vaccination figures each month from the end of January.

The 90 positive cases dwarf the previous high of 42 recorded a week earlier. Ten Premier League matches were cancelled because of Covid during the seven days in question, across which 12,345 tests were administered. There were 41 positives from Friday to Sunday alone. Players and club staff do daily lateral flow and twice-weekly PCR tests.

The issue of unvaccinated players is also a concern for managers as they approach the January transfer window. Jürgen Klopp has said Liverpool would not sign an unvaccinated player and Steven Gerrard and Mikel Arteta have said it will be taken into consideration at Aston Villa and Arsenal. Klopp has said it would be complicated to create separate areas for vaccinated and unvaccinated squad members.

The top-flight clubs decided to press on with the season after talking through three options with regard to the calendar: to carry on playing; to defer one fixture per club from the three rounds scheduled to be played from 26 December to 3 January; and to stop playing entirely while the outbreak gripped.

A handful of clubs favoured option two, with one of them understood to be Liverpool, who took their lead from Klopp. He feels that it is irresponsible to make the players play twice from Boxing Day to 28 December when squads are stretched because of Covid issues. Liverpool have four players in isolation because of positive tests.

The vast majority of clubs, mindful – principally – of the potential for a horrendous fixture pile-up that could derail the season, indicated a readiness to play on. It was also acknowledged that it would be problematic to fairly postpone specific fixtures or rounds with some, plainly, easier for certain clubs than others.

No clubs wanted to pause the season and Brentford and Chelsea, who have publicly raised concerns in recent days, were among those who voted to continue. “It is the league’s collective intention to continue the current fixture schedule where safely possible,” the Premier League said.

In an attempt to reduce or eliminate the number of last-minute postponements, clubs have been asked to update the league every day on the availability of their players. Aston Villa v Burnley on Saturday was the latest match called off about two hours before kick-off. It is understood the league is paying for more PCR labs to help speed up daily testing.

The EFL has said it will press on with its league and Carabao Cup fixtures. The Football Association has scrapped replays in the third and fourth rounds of this season’s FA Cup to try to help ease potential congestion, with extra time and penalties used if necessary.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×