Town’s game against Fleetwood at Highbury will now be played on Monday evening at 7.45pm, the club has confirmed.

The match was due to be played on Saturday afternoon but with five Town players having only returned to training following their 10-day periods of isolation after testing positive for Covid today, the game has been moved to Monday to give them two more days to recover.

The Blues say the players concerned will continue to be monitored ahead of the game.

Tuesday was initially floated as an alternative date, however, there were concerns that the squad arriving back in Suffolk in the early hours of Wednesday morning might impact on the following Saturday’s home game against Swindon.

Town’s previous two games - the Boxing Day fixture at home to Northampton and yesterday’s planned away trip to AFC Wimbledon - were postponed after 11 players and staff - including manager Paul Lambert and general manager of football operations Lee O’Neill who both remain unwell - tested positive for Covid-19. Prior to that, the Blues’ match at Peterborough had been called off after a positive test in the Posh squad.

The Peterborough United-Doncaster Rovers and Rochdale-MK Dons League One fixtures scheduled for Saturday have already been postponed, while speculation regarding a circuit breaker hiatus continues in the media but with the EFL currently ruling out such a move.

The Town squad will next be tested for Covid-19 next week as part of widespread testing across the 72 EFL clubs which starts on Monday.

Photo: Matchday Images

bobble added 21:04 - Dec 30 sounds very unfair and stupid to me...
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BluedanW added 21:46 - Dec 30 Too dangerous to be played on a covid and fitness level. The players haven't trained for a couple of weeks, let alone had enough time to recover from the infections. The team should refuse to play and show the EFL up for what a shambles of a league they are.
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hoppy added 22:19 - Dec 30 So the players that tested positive and isolated for 10 days just come straight back in without being re-tested? Is that how it works? What happens if they play that game on Monday but aren't tested again until later in the week after that and if they find that they are still, or others are positive?
2

Saxonblue74 added 22:19 - Dec 30 Ludicrous. Make a stand Town. There's no way on earth this would happen to a premiership club
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Bert added 23:44 - Dec 30 I hope Lambert blasts the EFL for this decision and kicks up a stink. This together with the Government's own mixed messaging of stay at home but it's ok to play football with no crowds simply dilutes the seriousness of the virus . Politics, sponsorship and betting firms are behind decisions like this. If the game still goes ahead as well as taking the knee the players should send a message to the EFL and Government that this is wrong. I love my football but not at any cost.

2

DebsyAngel added 00:25 - Dec 31 What difference is two sodding days going to make? Absolutely absurd decision. Can see it being called off AGAIN as more players have positive tests....
3

MonkeyAlan added 09:18 - Dec 31 What the xxxx difference does that make? What a stupid situation. May as well travelled up and got it out the way Saturday afternoon as to have to play it on a Monday night away from home. The EFL are just a Micky mouse outfit when it comes to league 1 & 2.
2

PortmanTerrorist added 09:29 - Dec 31 I have massively missed my Town football fix over Xmas, but putting players on a pitch so soon after contracting this virus is just plain irresponsible, even if they themselves think they are well enough. After 9 months, you would think some sanity would prevail. Of course I want to us play, as am sure we all do, but for right not I sort of hope we take a stand even if it costs 3 points, if that is indeed the threat.

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Bert added 10:27 - Dec 31 Let it snow !
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midlandblue54 added 11:07 - Dec 31 Peterborough chairman just told league we're not playing
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ArnieM added 11:12 - Dec 31 The usual EFL cock up I see!!
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cjpase1027 added 11:18 - Dec 31 Pretty sure the club wouldn't have agreed to it if they weren't happy with playing the game.
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Razor added 11:16 - Jan 1 Presumably those who wernt tseted positive have still been training and keeping fit? Of course Lambert has a raft of excuses when we get the eventual hammering and none of our injured players seem ready to return-----just a nightmare really.
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