Chelsea
have had a request to postpone their game against Wolves on Sunday rejected
by the Premier League.
The application was made on Saturday evening and turned down on Sunday
morning ahead of the 0-0 draw at Molineux.
Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel told Sky Sports pre-match the club has
seven positive Covid-19 cases and fears there will be more in the coming
days.
"It does not matter if we can understand it [the Premier League rejecting
the application] because we cannot," he said. "It is very hard for us. We
are very concerned about the health of the players.
"Every day new positive tests are coming in. How will this stop if we sit
three hours in a bus? How will it stop if we do meetings together and if we
just pretend it is not happening? It will not stop.
"We are disappointed, a bit angry, but this does not make us less
competitive."
Chelsea named six substitutes, including two goalkeepers, instead of the
usual seven, while Jorginho, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Kai Havertz and the injured
Andreas Christensen were all absent from the matchday squad against Wolves.
Tuchel said the inclusion of N'Golo Kante in midfield was "a huge risk"
following the France international's injury absence in recent weeks.
Jorginho tested positive only to test negative later, but was withdrawn in
any case with the Blues refusing to take any risks.
Havertz and Loftus-Cheek returned positive tests on Saturday, with
Christensen also out of the squad.
Chelsea were reluctant to include any U23 players on the bench, with the
youth side training in a separate bubble - and also having had their last
scheduled fixture called off.
Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner, Callum Hudson-Odoi and the injured Ben Chilwell
tested positive for coronavirus ahead of the Blues' 1-1 home league draw
against Everton on Thursday.
A Chelsea spokesman said: "We are deeply disappointed that our application
was rejected as we felt we had a strong case for the postponement of today's
match on the grounds of players' health and safety."
Six of this weekend's Premier League fixtures have been postponed due to
Covid-19 outbreaks within clubs.
The Premier League has said it "assesses applications on a case-by-case
basis" and decisions are "based on existing rules and Covid-19 postponement
guidance issued to all clubs".
Arsenal's 4-1 victory at injury-hit Leeds was the only game to take place on
Saturday after Aston Villa's home game against Burnley was called off just
over two hours before kick-off due to increased positive cases within the
hosts' squad.
Burnley chairman Alan Pace has called for more notice with regards to games
being called off due to the Covid crisis so that clubs and fans can plan
accordingly
In total, outbreaks at various clubs have forced the postponement of 10
Premier League games so far.
However, the Premier League has so far resisted calls for a halt to the
competition, with talks scheduled to take place between clubs and team
managers from Monday.
Chelsea are due to visit Brentford in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on
Wednesday, before a scheduled trip to face Aston Villa on Boxing Day, live
on Sky Sports.
What are the Premier League rules around
postponements?
The 2021/22 Premier League handbook includes Covid protocols, and states the
Premier League board will "only permit the rearrangement or postponement of
a league match in exceptional circumstances".
The board make calls on a case-by-case basis, and by way of guidance the
Premier League says permission for a postponement will not be granted if a
club have 14 or more players from their squad list available.
In a statement, the Premier League added it would "assess a number of
factors, including the ability of a club to field a team; the status,
severity and potential impact of the Covid-19 outbreak at the club; and the
ability of the players to safely prepare for and play the match.
"The Board must also consider the wider risks to the opposition and other
people the club may come into contact with."
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