Tottenham’s Carabao Cup tie at Leyton Orient could be cancelled after MULTIPLE players at the League Two club test positive for coronavirus, putting their stadium and training ground into lockdown 24 hours before kick-off
- Tottenham’s Carabao Cup tie with Leyton Orient is at risk after positive tests
- A number of O’s players have tested positive for coronavirus over the weekend
- Orient have informed Spurs and the EFL and are awaiting a decision
- Manager Ross Embleton’s pre-match press conference has been cancelled
Tottenham‘s Carabao Cup clash with Leyton Orient is in doubt after the League Two club announced that a number of first team players have tested positive for coronavirus.
The O’s, who were set to face Premier League side Tottenham in the Carabao Cup third round on Tuesday, have closed their Breyer Group Stadium and training ground until further notice.
Orient have said in an official statement that they have informed the EFL and Tottenham and will make an announcement on the status of Tuesday’s game shortly.
Leyton Orient have announced that a host of first team players have tested positive for covid
The League Two club have informed Spurs, who they play in the Carabao Cup, and the EFL
The positive cases could mean that Jose Mourinho’s side’s clash with Orient is cancelled
‘Following our game on Saturday 19th September, Covid-19 testing was conducted on all of our first-team playing squad,’ the statement read.
‘Today (Monday 21st) we received formal confirmation which shows that a number of our first-team squad have tested positive for Covid-19.
‘Leyton Orient’s priority is the health and well-being of its players and staff. Those who have tested positive will now strictly follow government self-isolation guidelines.’
EFL clubs no longer have to mandatory test their players and staff for Covid-19 on a weekly basis like is still the case in the Premier League.
But ahead of the midweek tie with Spurs, Orient tested their squad and staff and have recorded ‘a number’ of positive results which now puts Tuesday’s game in doubt.
The statement continued: ‘We have also informed Mansfield Town, Plymouth Argyle and Oldham Athletic, our three most recent opponents, prior to the public release of this information.’
EFL rules state that a club which is unable to fulfil its obligation to play due to positive covid tests may have to forfeit the fixture, pay the opposing club’s expenses, who will receive a bye to the next round.
Leyton Orient manager Ross Embleton’s pre-match press conference, scheduled for this afternoon, has been cancelled.
The breaking news comes after Tottenham announced that they would auction their signed match shirts from the game.
Proceeds from the auction were to go to the JE3 Foundation, set up in memory of former Orient manager Justin Edinburgh, who died of a heart attack last year.
Edinburgh played for Spurs between 1990 and 2000, appearing 276 times for the club. He won the FA Cup and League Cup during his time at White Hart Lane.
Orient manager Ross Embleton’s pre-match press conference has also been cancelled
Spurs are auctioning signed matchday shirts with proceeds going towards the JE3 Foundation
The JE3 Foundation was set up by Edinburgh’s son Charlie aiming to support heart charities and to campaign for legislative change – Justin’s Law – to make it compulsory for all health, fitness and sports facilities to be equipped with a Public Access Defibrillator (PAD).
Tottenham are scheduled to play at Brisbane Road tomorrow night as Jose Mourinho looks to win silverware for a club that has long missed out on the top prizes.
Spurs got their Premier League season up and running this weekend with a 5-2 win over Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium, with attacker Heung-min Son bagging four goals.
Last season, the Premier League club crashed out of the competition to Colchester United, as Mauricio Pochettino’s spell at the club began to unravel.
