JAKARTA - Liverpool have temporarily closed their training facilities due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases at the club. The Reds said they came to the decision following an increase in positive cases of COVID-19, with assistant coach Pepijn Lijnders suspected of having contracted the virus.
Lijnders accompanied Liverpool during their 2-2 draw with Chelsea in the English Premier League on Sunday (2/1) after coach Jurgen Klopp was quarantined for testing positive for COVID-19.
The first-team training facilities at AXA Training Center have been temporarily closed due to a rapidly growing number of suspected positive COVID-19 cases.
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 5, 2022
"The decision was made in consultation with the relevant Public Health authorities," Liverpool said in a statement on the club's official website.
"These new cases are in addition to those recorded on Monday and Tuesday morning."
Liverpool vs Arsenal League Cup semi-final first leg match scheduled for today has also been postponed, the English Football League (EFL) said.
Our Carabao Cup semi-final, first-leg fixture with Arsenal on Thursday has been postponed. We would like to place on record our thanks to the EFL and Arsenal for their understanding, as well as supporters of both clubs, as we continue to navigate through this challenging period.
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 5, 2022
As a result of the postponement, the fixtures have been changed with the first leg set to take place at Anfield on 13 January, while the second leg will be played at the Emirates on 20 January.
"The first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final between Arsenal and Liverpool scheduled for Thursday 6 January 2022 has been postponed following an official request by Liverpool due to the outbreak of a severe COVID infection among their management and playing staff," the EFL said in a statement.
"The EFL has been in regular communication with the Club over the past 48 hours in an effort to understand whether matches can resume, but significant developments during this period have resulted in the Club reporting an ever-increasing number of COVID cases."
Alisson Becker, Roberto Firmino and Joel Matip tested positive for the virus again on Sunday. Meanwhile, Virgil van Dijk, Thiago Alcantara, Fabinho and Curtis Jones underwent quarantine last month.
We can confirm Pepijn Lijnders has returned a suspected positive test for COVID-19, further impacting our preparations for Thursday's Carabao Cup tie with Arsenal.
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 5, 2022
The UK recorded 218,724 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, a new record for the number of cases reported in a single day in the country.
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