Liverpool have taken action as “multiple” new cases of COVID-19 have emerged after testing on Wednesday morning, with their training ground in Kirkby closed.
It had been speculated on Tuesday that the AXA Training Centre had been temporarily shut off following a number of positive tests, but the club insisted operations would go ahead.
However, with Covid spreading throughout the first-team squad and staff, a request was made to the EFL to postpone the League Cup semi-final first leg against Arsenal.
That came with Jurgen Klopp, Alisson, Roberto Firmino and Joel Matip as confirmed cases, but a host of other players and staff were believed to have tested positive.
On Wednesday, it was announced that Klopp’s assistant manager Pepijn Lijnders had returned a positive lateral flow test, with the club’s pre-match press conference, scheduled for 11am, cancelled.
It transpires that Lijnders’ case had emerged after Liverpool filed their postponement request to the EFL, with the club now reporting “multiple new suspected positives” in their latest round of testing on Wednesday.
The decision has been taken, then, to temporarily close the AXA Training Centre, which not only houses the first team but also the academy.
This means that it is almost guaranteed that Thursday’s game is called off, along with the visit of Shrewsbury in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.
Liverpool are yet to confirm which other players and staff have tested positive, as they are likely awaiting the results of PCR tests before they do so.
Given the Reds’ under-23s and under-18s also train at the AXA Training Centre, it is expected that their clashes with the Derby U23s and Burnley U18s over the weekend will also be postponed.
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