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Gillingham Game Postponed - Ipswich Town News

Town’s game at Gillingham scheduled for Boxing Day has been postponed at the request of the Gills due to the number of Covid cases in their squad and rescheduled for the start of January.

The match has been rescheduled for Saturday 8th January, kick-off 3pm, with both sides out of the FA Cup and with their League One games that day off as their opponents - AFC Wimbledon in Town's case and Shrewsbury in the Gills' - still in the competition.

An EFL statement reads: "Gillingham’s Sky Bet League One fixture versus Ipswich Town on Sunday 26th December has been postponed.

"Gillingham informed the EFL that it would be unable to fulfil the fixture at Priestfield due to a number of positive Covid-19 cases in their squad.

"In light of the increased transmission rate of the Omicron variant, the EFL will now review the circumstances surrounding the postponement.

"In addition it will assist affected clubs throughout this challenging period to help them mitigate against the risk of infection amongst players and staff, while ensuring their obligations to the EFL regulations are maintained.”

New manager Kieran McKenna's first match in charge of the Blues is now set to be next Wednesday's home game against Wycombe Wanderers.

Earlier today, Gills chairman Paul Scally outlined the situation at the Kent club, whose fixture with Crewe at the weekend was also postponed.

"We’ve got seven outfield players that are actually training plus both goalkeepers.” Scally told BBC Radio Kent.

"We’ve got six injured players who would otherwise be starting, we’ve got five players with Covid who are isolating and we’ve got one player and two members of staff who potentially have Covid, tested yesterday and are waiting for PCR tests.

"Apart from that, we have a number of staff, matchday staff, stewards, catering staff who have called off because they are either isolating of they don’t want to come and be in public places at this moment in time.

"You can’t play with seven players, that’s for sure. It is a real problem and we are all in a bit of a quandary in life at the moment, what to do, what not to do, what to do for the best, how to keep people safe.”

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