Leeds United fall victim to Covid-19 as Boxing Day game at Liverpool postponed

Diego Llorente missed the 4-1 defeat at Arsenal with the virus, which now seems to have spread despite the entire squad and coaching staff having had at least two vaccinations. The club are rightly proud of the example they have set in this regard.

Vaccinations only reduce the risk of contracting the virus, rather than eliminates it. All of those who have tested positive are asymptomatic.

Leeds have closed their Thorp Arch training ground for two days. They are due to play Aston Villa on December 28.

Leeds were involved in Saturday's only Premier League game, but along with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Watford, they became the first top-flight sides to lose their Boxing Day fixture. It would be a surprise if they were the last.

The game at Molineux was called off because of problems at Watford.

Already 15 Football League matches, including those involving Barnsley, both Sheffield clubs, Bradford City and their visitors Harrogate Town have been postponed. Hull City have also revealed their coach Grant McCann has contracted the virus.

Leeds's situation has been complicated by an injury list which saw eight players ruled out of the game against Arsenal. That went ahead because teams are unable to postpone matches because of injuries, but the Premier League guidelines say that if teams are unable to field a side because they have fewer than 14 available players, including a goalkeeper, their case will be judged on its merits.

Coach Marcelo Bielsa had suggested it was possible Patrick Bamford and Dan James might be back from injury at Anfield, but made clear it was far from certain.Premier League clubs are allowed to name a squad of up to 25 senior players for the first half of the season, but Leeds deliberately kept theirs to 18, exacerbating the bad luck they are suffering with the virus now.