December 28, 2021 6.02 pm This story is over 41 months old

Imps game off after more COVID-19 cases

A second postponement this month for Lincoln
| Photo: The Lincolnite
By Local Democracy Reporter

Lincoln City’s League One fixture away at Rotherham United has been postponed after the Imps reported more cases of COVID-19.

Lincoln were due to face League One’s leaders Rotherham at the AESSEAL New York Stadium on Wednesday, December 29, but it would appear that the Imps have had an outbreak of coronavirus over the Christmas period.

It is the second game this month that the Imps have had to call off due to positive cases, following on from the postponement of Saturday, December 18’s scheduled match at home to Doncaster Rovers.

Additional cases appear to have been discovered following the Boxing Day fixture at home to MK Dons, where Lincoln threw away a 2-0 half time lead to devastatingly lose 3-2 at the LNER Stadium.

In order to play the games, the EFL rules state that teams must be able to name 14 players, one of which being a goalkeeper, in their first team squad, or else they have sufficient grounds to request the fixture is postponed.

The Omicron variant is wreaking havoc among English football right now, as five other League One games scheduled for December 29 have now been postponed alongside Lincoln’s trip to Rotherham, including Wigan Athletic v Fleetwood Town and Plymouth Argyle vs Portsmouth.

According to the EFL, of the 72 teams across the three divisions, just 20 of them will be in action on December 29, and 10 of them the following day on December 30.

The Rotherham match will be the second involving a Lincolnshire club in the EFL to be postponed on that day, after Scunthorpe United’s League Two game with Northampton, due to take place on December 29, was also called off.

Games will be rescheduled in due course, with information to be announced from the club’s website and social media channels.

Imps CEO Liam Scully said: “We were able to fulfil Boxing Day’s fixture despite having some players test positive for COVID-19, unfortunately further positive tests on Tuesday mean we are now not able to fulfil Wednesday’s fixture.

“We will continue to train and prepare as normal for Saturday’s game at Ipswich Town in the hope that players returning to the group will allow us to meet the criteria to play. We’ll follow strict protocols at the Elite Performance Centre to minimise the risk of catching or spreading COVID-19.

“We commit to communicating with supporters, Ipswich and the EFL as quickly and clearly as possible over the coming days.”