• e-mail

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was without three key players for Thursday night's clash against Newcastle with Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and Curtis Jones all absent due to Covid-19 tests. 

A club statement read: 'Fabinho, Curtis Jones and Virgil van Dijk will miss tonight's Premier League fixture against Newcastle United after registering suspected positive tests for Covid-19. The three players are now isolating. 

'As a result, the entire Reds set-up, including all players and staff, were tested for Covid-19 again today with no further positive cases being detected. 

Virgil van Dijk is one of three Liverpool players who missed tonight's game against Newcastle

Fabinho (left) and Curtis Jones (right) were the other two missing out due to Covid-19 tests

'Supporters attending the game at Anfield are reminded of the new entry requirements and protocols in place to protect public safety.'

The trio are now awaiting the PCR test results which they took on Thursday, and they were therefore not considered by Klopp against Eddie Howe's men. 

Van Dijk and Fabinho both started the victory against Aston Villa at the weekend and were replaced by Ibrahima Konate and Diogo Jota in the XI respectively against Newcastle. 

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain meanwhile dropped back from his advanced role at the weekend to play in midfield.

Despite the emergence of Covid cases within the squad, Klopp said there was no thought given to asking the League to join the list of postponed matches.

'Honestly, I think at one point we have to make clear what exactly the rules are, but of course with three players out and this squad we wouldn't have asked to not play a football game,' Klopp told BT Sport before the game.

Liverpool start second in the table ahead of the game, four points behind leaders Manchester City, but Van Dijk - who has made 19 appearances this term - will miss out along with Fabinho and Jones.

Meanwhile, Chelsea trio Romelu Lukaku, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Timo Werner all test positive for Covid-19 - as does injured Ben Chilwell - ahead of their game with Everton. Kai Havertz also missed the fixture as he awaited his results.

The west Londoners already have Mateo Kovacic in isolation after he tested positive for Covid last week - with Thomas Tuchel's plans serious disrupted for the Stamford Bridge clash. 

Four more matches that were due to take place this weekend have also been postponed, with pressure very much mounting for the Premier League to pause the current campaign. 

Manchester United had just seven players available to face Brighton, forcing the League to postpone the game earlier today.

Southampton and Brentford, Watford and Crystal Palace, West Ham and Norwich, and Everton against Leicester have all been postponed due to Covid outbreaks.

However, the Premier League is still as yet resisting a complete suspension of the weekend programme and said in a statement: 'All other fixtures due to be played this weekend are currently scheduled to proceed as planned.'

Whether the news from Stamford Bridge and Anfield would change their stance is yet unknown.  

Thomas Tuchel revealed four Chelsea players tested positive for Covid prior to Everton clash 

Brentford manager Thomas Frank called for a 'circuit-break' shutdown today, and an increasing number of clubs are said to be keen on the idea of stopping play until January 8, next year, according to ESPN. 

Frank initially told reporters the total of Brentford cases was at nine but then was informed mid-press conference that four more club personnel tested positive overnight.  

'We think we should postpone the full round of Premier League games this weekend. Covid cases are going through the roof at all Premier League clubs, everyone is dealing with it and having problems,' he said.

'To postpone this round and also the Carabao Cup round would give everyone a week at least, or four or five days to clean and do everything at the training ground so everything is clean and you break the chain.

'Also in football, you need close contact. Physios need to do their job with players in treatment. We are in dressing room on matchdays, we are travelling by coaches so it's a little bit more difficult to work from home.' 

Brentford manager Thomas Frank called for a 'circuit-break' shutdown as cases rose at his club

Frank believes a decision to halt this weekend's round of top-flight fixtures could be enough to sure the busy festive programme will be able to go ahead largely as planned.

'We fully respect that we want to play and it is important football keeps going, and this way we can make sure Boxing Day keeps going, I'm 100 per cent sure of that,' added Frank.

'This Omicron variant is running like wildfire around the world and I think we need to do all we can to protect and avoid it. 

Brendan Rodgers' Leicester have been one of the clubs most affected by Covid recently

'I think we can do a lot by closing down training grounds for three, four or five days, and then we can go again.' 

As well as Brentford's clash with Manchester United, Burnley's match against Watford on Wednesday was called off two hours before kick-off after the Hornets announced an outbreak in their team. 

The Omicron variant has led to a large increase of cases in the UK, with Wednesday seeing 78,610 people testing positive - the highest daily number since the pandemic began last year.