Report: FA Cup update as Portsmouth opponents Bristol City are hit by coronavirus postponement
The FA Cup third-round ties will go ahead even if clubs have 14 players without coronavirus and available, according to reports.
Fears have been raised over Pompey’s trip to Bristol City going ahead, after the Robins’ trip to Brentford was postponed due to Covid-19 symptoms among their players.
But the Telegraph has today reported the FA has written to clubs telling them they must do all they can to ‘keep the competition on schedule’.
In an email competitions office Chris Darnell wrote: ‘[To] mitigate the risk of causing disruption to the wider fixture schedule [FA Cup fixtures will have to be played] providing clubs have a minimum of 14 Covid-19 negative players available’.
Clubs unable to meet that requirement will have to report to the FA where a professional game board, including EFL chairman Rick Parry will discuss the issue.
Next week will bring the latest round of mandatory EFL testing, which has raised concerns about the extent of positive cases being returned. EFL clubs currently only have to test personnel who have come into contact with those who have tested positive or are showing coronavirus symptoms.
Pompey have not played a game for two weeks after dealing with their own outbreak with five first-team players testing positive. The first team are now back in full training but saw their trip to Accrington postponed.
Kenny Jackett has called for the EFL to extend the season to mitigate the impact of fixture congestion brought on by postponements as the virus spreads across the country.
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