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		</div><p>Burnley’s Boxing Day clash with Everton has been postponed due to the number of coronavirus cases in the Toffees’ squad.</p>
<p>Everton had an initial request to postpone the game rejected on Thursday despite boss Rafael Benitez claiming he only had nine fit outfield players.</p>
<p>Everton confirmed in a brief statement: “Our Premier League fixture at Burnley on Boxing Day has been postponed due to the number of COVID cases and injuries in our squad.”</p>
<p>The Premier League said it had taken the “regrettable” decision to postpone the game following a meeting of its Board on Friday morning.</p>
<p>It said in a statement: “The Board reviewed the club’s request today to postpone the match following further injuries to their squad.</p>
<p>“They concluded that the club will not be able to fulfil their fixture this weekend as a result of an insufficient number of players available to play due to Covid-19 cases and injuries.”</p>
<p>Benitez said on Thursday that he was “surprised” the game had been expected to go ahead, after two Boxing Day matches – Liverpool v Leeds and Wolves v Watford – were postponed due to Covid cases.</p>
<p>His squad endured a Covid outbreak following the game against Chelsea on December 16, while a number of top players including Richarlison and Andros Townsend are injured.</p>
<p>Benitez said: “With the injuries and the positives that we have, we were expecting that the game would be postponed.</p>
<p>“Like in a lot of other games (to be postponed) to try and keep the integrity of the league, because you are losing so many players.”</p>
<ul>
<li>Liverpool v Leeds</li>
<li>Wolves v Watford</li>
<li>Burnley v Everton</li>
</ul>
<p>Meanwhile Tottenham boss Antonio Conte has described Thursday’s meeting between the Premier League and all 20 top-flight bosses as a waste of time and likened the league’s governing body to a brick wall.</p>
<p>Rising Covid-19 cases in England’s top-flight saw all managers and head coaches come together for a virtual meeting with the division to discuss the ongoing situation in addition to the congested fixture list and other key issues.</p>
<p>Numerous matches have already been postponed due to coronavirus outbreaks and managers have repeatedly highlighted a lack of player welfare, including Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola suggesting a players’ strike may be the only way to draw attention to it.</p>
<p>But the online chat proved pointless for Conte, who said: “If I have to be honest, it was a meeting that we tried to speak and some coaches tried to speak, to ask about solutions but I think everything was decided.</p>
<p>“I think yesterday it was a wall and for this reason I also prefer to not go into it.”</p>
<p>Asked if it was a waste of time, the Italian added: “I think so. Because when you have a wall in front of you, you can speak and ask what you want but every decision was (already) taken.”</p>
<p>Spurs, who have just returned from an enforced two-week break due to a Covid-19 outbreak at the club, are set to host Crystal Palace on Sunday before they visit Southampton on Tuesday.</p>
<p>Conte admits rotation will be key, adding: “It is not easy for us, it is not easy for all the teams to play after only one day is not simple.</p>
<p>“You have to manage the situation very well because the risk to lose players for injuries, so we have to pay great attention, especially my team.</p>
<p>“Don’t forget we had half our squad with Covid and in previous press conferences I said that when you take Covid, then you have to live with this situation for two to three weeks after you finished with Covid.</p>
<p>“We have to try to manage the situation very well because for sure physically the players with Covid (previously) are not 100 per cent fit.”</p>
<p>Norwich head coach Dean Smith feels it is “lunacy” to expect teams to play two games in 48 hours.</p>
<p>The Canaries’ Premier League match at West Ham was called off last weekend because of the ongoing Covid-19 issues, with just four of the scheduled 10 top-flight games able to be played as scheduled.</p>
<p>Norwich are set to host Arsenal on Sunday, and then play Crystal Palace on December 28.</p>
<p>Smith, though, believes that is an unreasonable expectation.</p>
<p>“We have some fresh cases, but we have got others coming back. We are not sure how many will miss Boxing Day,” he said.</p>
<p>“We are having to push rehab forward and people are breaking down in rehab because of that, it is asking massive questions of everybody’s squads at the moment.</p>
<p>“It is lunacy that we are having to play two games in 48 hours and there has got to be a question about the integrity of the competition when teams are playing weakened teams against other teams and it is affecting league positions.”</p>
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