90min

2 WSL Games Postponed After Aston Villa Player Tests Positive for Coronavirus

By Jamie Spencer

Aston Villa have had their next two WSL games postponed
Aston Villa have had their next two WSL games postponed / Alex Davidson/Getty Images
facebooktwitterreddit

Aston Villa Women have confirmed that their next two Women’s Super League games have been postponed as a result of a player testing positive for coronavirus.

Several other members of the squad have also entered into a period of self-isolation as a precaution to avoid the possible further spread of the virus.

Several Aston Villa players are now in self-isolation
Several Aston Villa players are now in self-isolation / Harriet Lander/Getty Images

Villa’s WSL game against Bristol City this coming Sunday has been postponed accordingly, as has the follow up clash against reigning champions Chelsea on Saturday 17 October.

A statement from the club on the matter clarified: “Aston Villa’s main priority is the health and safety of our players, staff, and opponents.”

The postponed fixtures are the first of the 2020/21 campaign to fall foul of the coronavirus crisis, although the un-named Villa player is not the first WSL player to test positive this season.

Manchester United captain Katie Zelem previously tested positive in September, but her case and subsequent quarantine period fell right before the international break when no WSL games were scheduled.

Katie Zelem is the only other WSL player to have tested positive this season & has since recovered
Katie Zelem is the only other WSL player to have tested positive this season & has since recovered / Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images

Cruelly for Zelem on a personal level, it forced her withdrawal from that month’s England training camp, having just earned her first ever senior Lionesses call-up.

The rest of the WSL will go ahead as planned this weekend, with headline fixtures on both days.

Saturday will see Manchester United take on Tottenham, a game in which Tobin Heath and Christen Press could go up against USWNT teammate Alex Morgan, while on Sunday it is a clash between title contenders Chelsea and Manchester City – their most recent WSL meeting in February yielded a thrilling 3-3 draw and was a stunning advert for the women’s game.

Elsewhere in the WSL on Sunday, league leaders Arsenal travel to Brighton, an impressive Everton host West Ham, while Reading meet win-less Birmingham.

For more from Jamie Spencer, follow him on Twitter and Facebook!