Leicester’s game at Everton on Tuesday has been postponed after the Premier League granted the visitors’ request to rearrange the fixture.
Leicester informed the Premier League they would not have enough available first-team players to fulfil the match due to a combination of Covid cases, injuries and players being away at the Africa Cup of Nations.
It is the second time the fixture has been postponed – it was originally due to take place on December 19, but was moved to January 11 because of Covid cases in Leicester’s squad.
A statement from the Premier League read: “The board was able to make its decision in advance of the fixture to give clarity to the affected clubs and their fans.
“We apologise for the inconvenience and disruption caused to supporters who planned on attending and watching the game, and we are aware that postponements will disappoint fans.
“The league aims to provide as much clarity as possible, but unfortunately postponements sometimes have to be made at short notice, as safety is our priority.
“The board assesses applications to postpone matches on a case-by-case basis, based on existing rules and adapted Covid-19 postponement guidance, implemented in light of the new Omicron variant.
Speaking after Leicester’s FA Cup win against Watford on Saturday, Rodgers said he was concerned over his lack of playing options
“The board will assess a number of factors, including the ability of a club to field a team; the status, severity and potential impact of the Covid-19 outbreak at the club; and the ability of the players to safely prepare for and play the match.
“The board must also consider the wider risks to the opposition and other people the club representatives may come into contact with.”
Speaking after Leicester’s win over Watford in the FA Cup on Saturday – for which they were unable to name a full squad – manager Brendan Rodgers hinted a request to postpone the Everton game was coming.
“We’ve been stretched in terms of numbers and, for the integrity of the competition, we’ll assess where we’re at,” he said.
“You’ve seen for yourself the squad and the team that we have. We need to go in and assess it and see where we’re at in terms of players. We’ll take it from there.”
Rodgers added that the number of first-team players currently unavailable to him meant he was facing a situation unlike anything he has previously experienced.
“I have never had this before,” he said. “It is a unique situation.
“Covid, when that kicked in, was tough for us. Players were out and we couldn’t rest the ones who were playing, so they were overloaded.
“It’s great some of them played but there was a cost for that.”
Follow Everton with Sky Sports
Follow every Everton game in the Premier League this season with our live blogs on the Sky Sports website and app, and watch match highlights for free shortly after full-time.
Want the Everton latest? Bookmark our Everton news page, check out Everton’s fixtures and Everton’s latest results, watch Everton goals and video, keep track of the Premier League table and see which Everton games are coming up live on Sky Sports.
Get all this and more – including notifications sent straight to your phone – by downloading the Sky Sports Scores app and setting Everton as your favourite team.
Hear the best Premier League reaction and expert analysis with the Essential Football and Gary Neville podcasts, keep up-to-date with our dedicated Transfer Centre, follow the Sky Sports social accounts on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, and find out how to get Sky Sports.
Follow Leicester City with Sky Sports
Follow every Leicester game in the Premier League this season with our live blogs on the Sky Sports website and app, and watch match highlights for free shortly after full-time.
Want the Leicester latest? Bookmark our Leicester news page, check out Leicester’s fixtures and Leicester’s latest results, watch Leicester goals and video, keep track of the Premier League table and see which Leicester games are coming up live on Sky Sports.
Get all this and more – including notifications sent straight to your phone – by downloading the Sky Sports Scores app and setting Leicester as your favourite team.
Hear the best Premier League reaction and expert analysis with the Essential Football and Gary Neville podcasts, keep up-to-date with our dedicated Transfer Centre, follow the Sky Sports social accounts on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, and find out how to get Sky Sports.
