Newcastle United’s Premier League match away to Southampton on Sunday has been postponed because of the number of Covid-19 cases and injuries in the Magpies squad.
Newcastle’s match at Everton was postponed on Thursday after the club asked for the game to be called off.
It means 17 top-flight games have been postponed since the start of December.
The Premier League accepted Newcastle’s request as the club do not have the required number of players available.
While applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, the minimum number of players required is set at 13 outfield players and one goalkeeper.
The game was due to kick off at 14:00 GMT on Sunday.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is also uncertain whether his side’s match at Chelsea on Sunday will go ahead as the club await PCR test results.
“We have three new Covid cases in the team and a few more in the staff so it’s not so cool in the moment,” Klopp said.
Asked whether Liverpool will need the game to be postponed Klopp added: “We aren’t close to getting the game postponed yet. We haven’t had a proper outbreak yet but it’s happening more and more often.
“It’s like a lottery in the morning when you wait for the result. It was day-by-day pretty much another case and today another one.”
The most recent figures show a record 103 Premier League players and staff tested positive for Covid in the seven days up to and including 26 December.
Premier League and EFL clubs chose to fulfil their festive fixtures despite the ongoing coronavirus disruption.
- Our coverage of your Premier League club is bigger and better than ever before – here’s everything you need to know to make sure you never miss a moment
