Tony Mowbray calls for Covid clarity from EFL as Hull City call off another game with Sheffield United

The Blades and Hull – both also inactive on Boxing Day – will now not return to action until the new year after their game was called off due to Covid issues within the Tigers squad.

United, due to host Chris Wilder’s Middlesbrough on New Year’s Day, have not played at home since November 28, with Covid issues at QPR forcing the postponement of their scheduled trip to Sheffield on December 13.

Cases at Preston ensured that the Blades’ game at Deepdale on December 26 was also called off.

A Hull statement read: “Our match at Sheffield United on Wednesday has been postponed due to the Tigers having an insufficient number of players available to fulfil the fixture.

“The club has worked hard to ensure it has been able to play the game. However, taking into account the injuries and positive Covid-19 cases in the squad, we do not have the required numbers for the match to take place. We apologise again for the disappointment and disruption caused.”

The latest postponement comes after Hull’s scheduled Boxing Day clash against Blackburn Rovers was controversially called off at just two hours’ notice – despite 14 Tigers players testing positive for coronavirus on Friday.

It prompted understandable criticism from Blackburn fans who had travelled to Yorkshire.

Rovers chief Tony Mowbray said: “How frustrating? You can’t put words on how frustrating it is when you plan and prepare and people make sacrifices with their family at such an important time of year, especially people with young kids.

“To be left two hours before kick-off, we’d just done our team meeting and were about to get on the bus and then we got the call, I can’t understand how the organisation, the EFL, allows to happen what happened.

“Where’s the clarification? How many were Covid? How many injured? How many close contacts? We’ve not heard anything, don’t know anything.

“I would just like some clarification. I would never cast any aspersions, Hull City are a fantastic football club, when you go there it’s an amazing stadium to play football and some very good people at that club.

“I wouldn’t cast any aspersions but I think there needs to be some clarity and I would say the same if it was us.”