BURNLEY’S STEPHEN’S DAY clash with Everton has been postponed due to the number of coronavirus cases in the Toffees’ squad.

Everton had an initial request to postpone the game rejected on Thursday despite boss Rafael Benitez claiming he only had nine fit outfield players.

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.”

The Premier League said it had taken the “regrettable” decision to postpone the game following a meeting of its Board on Friday morning.

It said in a statement: “The Board reviewed the club’s request today to postpone the match following further injuries to their squad.

“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.”

Benitez said on Thursday that he was “surprised” the game had been expected to go ahead.

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.

Benitez said: “With the injuries and the positives that we have, we were expecting that the game would be postponed.

“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.”

It is the third of 10 Stephen’s Day fixtures to be postponed following Covid cases, following the falling of Liverpool/Leeds and Wolves/Watford. 

Burnley last played on 12 December, and this is the fourth of their games in the last month to be postponed. Their meeting with Spurs at home was postponed because of snow, while Covid has forced the rescheduling of Premier League games with Aston Villa,  Watford, and now Everton.