December 26, (THEWILL) – After testing positive for COVID-19, Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira will miss his team’s Boxing Day match against Tottenham Hotspur billed for a 4 pm kickoff at the latter’s London Stadium.
On Saturday, reports suggested that the game would be called off, putting the fixture in the bracket of ties that have been forced into postponement. However, despite a COVID-19 outbreak at Palace, the match will go forward as planned.
Now that Vieira has tested positive, the rest of the Palace squad was reassembled in the morning for more tests to make certain that there were no new infections. In Vieira’s absence, it is unclear who will be in command of Palace.
THEWILL recalls that due to COVID-19 outbreaks, three Boxing Day fixtures have already been postponed: Leeds’ trip to Liverpool, Wolves’ visit to Watford, and Everton’s match against Burnley.
Palace are now 11th in the Premier League, having won just one of their previous five games. Spurs, on the other hand, are on a roll under Antonio Conte. The north London club has won three and drawn two of its previous five games and seek to take advantage of the Palace crises to add three more.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
