Premier League Continues Amid COVID

ASTON VILLA vs CHELSEA

Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard will be unavailable for the match after contracting COVID having seen an outbreak in the squad lead to last weekend’s game against Burnley being postponed. Romelu Lukaku and Callum Hudson-Odoi can return for Chelsea. The forwards were two of the eight Chelsea players out with COVID-19 but they are back in training. Defender Andreas Christensen is also in contention after a back injury. The Blues were angry their match at Wolverhampton last weekend, which they drew 0-0, was not postponed like six other Premier League games were. Thomas Tuchel’s team have slipped to six points behind leaders Manchester City in third place after drawing their last two games.

BRIGHTON vs BRENTFORD

Striker Danny Welbeck is poised to end a three-month injury absence for Brighton. Midfielder Pascal Gross and forward Neal Maupay are also expected to be available after missing Brighton’s loss to Wolverhampton but defender Lewis Dunk is out. Adam Webster has returned to training after injury and could be in contention and another defender, Shane Duffy, returns after serving a one-match ban but midfielder Yves Bissouma is suspended.

Brentford striker Ivan Toney is pushing for a starting spot having returned to action against Chelsea in the midweek League Cup loss after a spell out with COVID-10 . The Bees have not played in the Premier League for two weeks after matches against Manchester United and Southampton were postponed.

MAN CITY vs LEICESTER

Jack Grealish and Phil Foden could return for leaders Manchester City after being left on the bench at Newcastle last week for disciplinary breaches. Defender Kyle Walker will hope to return after a fitness issue while forward Ferran Torres, currently sidelined with a broken foot, looks to have played his final game for the club as he is close to joining Barcelona

Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers is hoping his players will bounce back quickly from losing to Liverpool on penalties in the quarterfinals of the League Cup. More injuries were sustained in the process — striker Jamie Vardy played the last 20 minutes with a tight hamstring while defenders Caglar Soyuncu and Ricardo Pereira were forced off — which does not make the task any easier against the champions.

Leicester have a decent recent record against City, with two wins in the last four meetings. But after two successive fifth-placed finishes, Rodgers’ FA Cup winners have lacked their usual spark this season, winning just six of their 16 Premier League matches to sit in ninth approaching the midway point.

NORWICH vs ARSENAL

Norwich manager Dean Smith is again dealing with COVID concerns, with the last-placed club waiting on PCR results to determine who will be available having seen the previous game at West Ham called off. Milot Rashica (groin) is not yet back in contention, while Mathias Normann (pelvis) is set for an extended spell on the sidelines.

Arsenal are expected to be without forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for a fifth consecutive match following recent disciplinary action . Sead Kolasinac (ankle) is also absent while Pablo Mari, Calum Chambers and Albert Sambi Lokonga have all tested positive for COVID-19 in recent days.

Arsenal strikers Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah, who have scored nine goals between them this season, are out of contract next summer and free to talk to overseas clubs in January.

Arsenal travel to Norwich in fourth place with Emile Smith Rowe their leading scorer this season with eight goals in all competitions.

TOTTENHAM vs CRYSTAL PALACE

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has no new injury concerns, although Ryan Sessegnon misses out again with a muscular problem.

Crystal Palace will be without James McArthur due to a hamstring injury. The south London club has not played for 10 days after last weekend’s match at Watford was postponed due to the opposition dealing with a COVID outbreak and now Palace has infections in the squad.

Tottenham are in seventh place, six points behind fourth-place Arsenal but with three games in hand, while Palace is 11th.

POSTPONEMENTS

Three of the nine matches scheduled for Sunday were postponed due to COVID outbreaks: Burnley vs. Everton, Liverpool vs. Leeds and Wolverhampton vs. Watford