Aston Villa suffer COVID-19 outbreak, FA Cup tie vs Liverpool in doubt

English club Aston Villa could have their FA Cup clash with Liverpool called off after an outbreak of COVID-19 in their camp.

The FA Cup third-round tie is scheduled for Friday night at Villa Park but one day to the fixture Aston Villa are dealing with ‘a significant coronavirus outbreak’.

“Aston Villa can confirm that the Club has closed its Bodymoor Heath training ground after a significant Coronavirus outbreak,” the club announced on their official website on Thursday.

“A large number of first team players and staff returned positive tests after being routinely tested on Monday and immediately went into isolation.”A second round of testing was carried out immediately and produced more positive results today.”

The club cancelled first-team training and stated that they were in discussions with the Football Association and the Premier League apparently regarding their fixtures.

Several fixtures have been postponed in England as the country continues to see a spike in coronavirus cases, even as a new, more dangerous strain has been discovered.

However, the government has allowed elite sport to continue despite a total lockdown of activities in the country.