Premier League managers and players meeting to discuss Covid issues

Thursday’s discussion follows a clubs’ meeting on Monday

Premier League players and managers are to meet to discuss the continuing schedule (Zac Goodwin/PA) (PA Wire)

Premier League managers and players will meet on Thursday to thrash out a host of coronavirus issues, the PA news agency understands.

Rising Covid-19 cases across the league have seen nine of the last 20 matches in England’s top-flight postponed, with other matches only going ahead with depleted squads.

Premier League clubs opted on Monday to continue with the hectic Christmas schedule, while the Carabao Cup quarter-finals were completed on Wednesday.

England’s top managers and players will look at ways to cope with the increasing toll of the Omicron variant, while also bidding to keep the Premier League show on the road.

Replays have already been scrapped for the FA Cup third and fourth rounds to help ease fixture congestion, but Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp would prefer the League Cup semi-final to be one-legged instead of two.

Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard revealed the extent of Covid-19 anxiety among his players on Wednesday, while Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson said players’ welfare is not taken seriously enough in England.