Liverpool wants Arsenal cup match postponed over COVID

Arsenal’s English midfielder Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League football match against Manchester City at Emirates Stadium in London on Saturday. (AFP)

• First-team training was canceled at Liverpool on Tuesday after more positive tests among players and staff
• Injuries and players having left for African Cup of Nations are affecting player availability for the first-leg match at Emirates Stadium

LIVERPOOL, England: Liverpool has requested the postponement of Thursday’s match against Arsenal in the English League Cup semifinals because of more suspected COVID-19 cases at the club.
First-team training was canceled at Liverpool on Tuesday after more positive tests among players and staff.
Liverpool said other factors impacting selection, such as injuries and players like Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah having left for the African Cup of Nations, are affecting player availability for the first-leg match at Emirates Stadium.
“With no prospect of the current situation improving ahead of Thursday’s fixture and the potential for it to worsen, the club considers it both prudent and reasonable to ask for the fixture to be rescheduled,” Liverpool said Tuesday.
The English Football League said it would make a decision “as soon as possible once the circumstances have been fully reviewed.”
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is among those currently isolating after contracting the virus.
England has seen the most disruption caused by the coronavirus. Eighteen Premier League games have been postponed in recent weeks while other major European leagues have been on planned winter breaks, just as the omicron variant was sending case numbers surging on the continent.