Newcastle's match vs. Aston Villa postponed amid COVID-19 outbreak
Newcastle United's match at Aston Villa, originally scheduled for Friday, has been postponed after the Magpies confirmed a "significant increase in COVID-19 cases" at the club's training center.
The fixture is the first to be called off since the 2019-20 Premier League season restarted in June following a three-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic. A makeup date has yet to be announced.
"Several Newcastle United players and staff members are now self-isolating at home after returning positive test results in recent days and the club's Training Centre site has been temporarily closed in order to contain the spread of the virus," Newcastle said in a statement.
The training center at Darsley Park was shuttered on Monday and Tuesday.
"The club is now is working with Public Health England North East (PHE), local health authorities and the Premier League in line with COVID-19 protocols to identify the source of the outbreak and to ensure the risk of further transmission continues to be minimized," the statement added.
The match was first cast into doubt on Monday when reports surfaced claiming the entire Newcastle squad was forced to quarantine following a spate of positive COVID-19 tests. Four players and a member of Steve Bruce's staff reportedly tested positive prior to a second round of examinations on Sunday that revealed several more.
The Premier League approved Newcastle's request to suspend the match, a decision that Aston Villa backed with a message on Twitter.