The Premier League has confirmed that Thursday night's match between Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur has been postponed just hours before kickoff due to rising coronavirus cases within the Leicester squad.
Both clubs are understood to have had an initial request for the game to be postponed rejected on Wednesday, but the situation at Leicester worsened on Thursday and the Foxes resubmitted a request for the game to be called off today.
The Premier League has now granted that wish, ruling that Leicester had "an insufficient number of players available to fulfil the match" following their outbreak.
"The Premier League Board has postponed Leicester City's match against Tottenham Hotspur tonight due to an increase in positive COVID-19 cases within Leicester's squad today," read a statement from the league.
"In light of the new information, Leicester applied this morning for the fixture to be called off due to an ongoing outbreak within the squad, which has resulted in more players and staff testing positive for COVID-19 today.
"This has left the club with an insufficient number of players available to fulfil the match."
Leicester's first-team training ground has also been closed down in an attempt to contain the outbreak.
The fixture is the third midweek Premier League game to be called off due to coronavirus, after Brentford vs. Manchester United and Burnley vs. Watford were also postponed.
The postponement also means that Tottenham have now seen their last three games called off for COVID-related reasons, with an outbreak in their own squad affecting matches against Rennes and Brighton & Hove Albion last week.
A number of Premier League clubs are thought to be backing a break from action amid the rapidly-growing number of coronavirus cases.
Barney Corkhill
