‘Omicron is everywhere’: Covid problems on the rise in men’s and women’s football

With cases and match postponements on the rise teams are having to stay especially vigilant in what is one of the busiest times of the calendar, writes Rachel Steinberg

New Covid guidelines have been brought in in football (Action Images via Reuters)

Covid is causing chaos in the women’s game just as it is in the men’s equivalent as positive cases and playing postponements continue to mount.

Leicester vs Tottenham has become the latest game to be postponed in the Premier League, following Burnley vs Watford and Brentford vs Manchester United in succumbing to the virus.

Spurs’ last three games have been called off - one in the Europa Conference League and another back home - as the reality of and fallout from the Omicron variant hits home.

It’s not only with the men that it’s making it’s presence felt either with Manchester City’s Conti Cup tie with Leicester pulled at the last minute on Wednesday too.

Women’s Super League champions Chelsea are dealing with their own Covid problems ahead of their Champions League match with Wolfsburg on Thursday. 

Neither goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger or midfielder Drew Spence travelled to Germany, where the Blues will finish top of Group A and clinch a quarter-finals berth if they avoid defeat.  

Boss Emma Hayes said her club was relying on experience and logic ahead of the contest, which will not be open to travelling Chelsea fans. 

“[We’re] just [using] common sense,” she said ahead of the game. “The realities are that Omicron is everywhere, and all parts of society are affected.

“We’ve kept the players outside, even here the players will remain in their rooms. We just go to the training pitch, come back, [wear] even thicker masks, more spacing on buses and on the plane, etcetera. A common-sense approach.  

“And I hate to say this [but] we have the experience of being in this position before, and I think we’ve learned a lot about how to socially distance appropriately. 

“But as we all know you cannot prevent it, we can just minimise the impact to our squad so we can finish the football calendar year for the next two games.” 

Hayes remained hopeful that, despite the Covid situation, her players would be able to return to their families for Christmas after taking on West Ham United in their final Women’s Super League match of the year. 

She said: “We hope so. Everybody across the entire squad has been doubly vaccinated so we hope that is the case come Sunday evening.” 

Chelsea play in Germany on Thursday night (Chelsea FC via Getty Images)

WSL champions Chelsea, who have a three-point cushion in Group A, have slumped since winning the FA Cup final on 5 December, drawing 0-0 in their home Champions League clash with Juventus before falling 1-0 to Reading on Saturday. 

While the Blues hold their destiny in their hands, one possible permutation of the tough group outcomes could see her squad knocked out of the tournament.

Chelsea have conceded just two goals in their last 11 matches, so a strong performance by Berger’s likely replacement Zećira Mušović could be critical. 

Hayes was also quick to share her excitement about Wednesday morning’s announcement that WSL title sponsor Barclays were doubling their investment next season in a new three-year deal, while also sponsoring the Championship for the first time. 

She said: “Another sign of amazing work being done across the game. It’s brilliant support from Barclays but importantly I hope it’s another step for others to commit to our game. 

“It’s really, really good news and one that I’ll definitely toast my coffee to.”

And while away fans will have to make do with watching on television, Hayes assured them she’d do her best as proxy.

She added: “Let them know that I will be every one of them, and every single person will hear me tomorrow evening.”