Palace manager Patrick Vieira to miss Spurs game after testing positive for Covid-19

Boxing Day match to go ahead despite cases in Crystal Palace squad

Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira has tested positive for coronavirus. EPA

Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira will not be at Sunday's match at Tottenham Hotspur after testing positive for Covid-19.

"We can confirm that Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira is self-isolating after returning a positive test for Covid-19, and will be absent from the touchline for today's match against Spurs," Palace said in a statement. Assistant manager Osian Roberts will take charge of the team.

The news came after Crystal Palace failed in their attempt to get the Boxing Day's fixture called off due to a number of positive cases in their camp.

Vieira had revealed that there were a "couple of cases" in the side, but the increase over the following 48 hours was not deemed enough to see the game cancelled.

The Premier League had announced last week that matches will be played if a team has 13 fit outfield players and a goalkeeper.

Both clubs announced the game will go ahead as scheduled. The game at Tottenham is one of six Premier League fixtures on the Boxing Day programme.

Three matches were postponed due to coronavirus infections across squads: Burnley v Everton, Liverpool v Leeds and Wolverhampton v Watford.

The Premier League has called off 13 matches because of coronavirus issues in two weeks, with players having to isolate after testing positive or if they are unvaccinated and a close contact of a Covid-19 case.

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