Aston Villa head coach Steven Gerrard will miss the club’s next two Premier League games after testing positive for Covid-19, the club announced yesterday. “Aston Villa can confirm Head Coach Steven Gerrard will be unable to attend our next two Premier League matches with Chelsea and Leeds United as he will be isolating after testing positive for Covid-19,” the club tweeted.
Gerrard will miss the Boxing Day game at home to Chelsea and Tuesday’s visit to Leeds, if that game goes ahead.
Aston Villa’s last game, at home to Burnley, was postponed shortly before kick-off on December 18 after a coronavirus outbreak in the Villa camp.
Three of today’s scheduled Premier League games have been called off, including the Leeds visit to Liverpool, because of a Covid outbreak and injury problems at the Yorkshire club. That puts a question mark over Villa’s match at Elland Road on December 28 will be played.
On Wednesday, Gerrard said it would be a “nightmare” if his club had to tackle two matches in two days with just 14 players available. Everyone at the club was anxious about potential infection, he added. “We had a situation at the weekend where one of the players was reluctant to get out of his car because he had some symptoms and he’s got a young family, and you can totally understand his view in his situation,” Gerrard said. “No-one wants to get this virus. Everyone wants to protect their own families. This is our job and your priority is always going to be your family, of course it is.”
In total, 25 Boxing Day games across the top four divisions of English football have been postponed after two more Football League matches were called off. Luton’s match at home to Bristol City became the seventh postponed Championship fixture, while Carlisle’s home League Two match with Rochdale has also been postponed.
Luton and Carlisle have both reported Covid outbreaks in their squads. Only 10 games in the three lower divisions are still due to go ahead on Boxing Day.

Arsenal Coach Arteta demands ‘respect and commitment’
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said he has not tried to establish his authority through a “dictatorial” approach and that “respect and commitment” from the players is non-negotiable if he is to stay at the club. Arteta’s comments come after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was removed as captain last week following a disciplinary breach.
Aubameyang, who signed a new three-year contract with the club last year, was dropped ahead of this month’s 2-0 win over West Ham United after he returned late from a trip abroad. “I do not establish my authority by being dictatorial or ruthless,” Arteta said.
“I just ask for one thing — respect and commitment. At this level, if I don’t get that, I’ll pack my bags and go somewhere else because that’s the minimum I can ask for.
“To be successful you have to be passionate about something and, if you want to represent a club of this size, that is the minimum standard you have to bring. I am not going to ask anybody to put the ball into the top corner every time they hit it, but I will ask them to do the right things every single day for this club.”
Arsenal, fourth in the Premier League, take on bottom side Norwich City at Carrow Road today.