The announcement that Sheffield Wednesday’s match against Accrington Stanley has been called off due to a outbreak of Covid-19 has left speculation as to whether further matches could fall to the same fate.

The Owls are scheduled to take on Burton Albion on Boxing Day.

But those to have suffered a positive test are subject to a 10-day period of isolation, meaning anyone to have tested positive on the day of the Accrington announcement (Thursday December 16) will be unable to take part.

Moreover, it is unlikely players who have returned positive tests on earlier dates will be asked to step out for a professional football match so soon after their isolation period was complete, leaving fears over the likelihood of the Boxing Day fixture being postponed.

Though any guidelines with regard to how soon clubs must notify the EFL of their inability to fulfil a fixture are unclear, any decision on the Burton clash will be announced in the soonest possible time, allowing both clubs and supporters as much time as possible to alter their plans.

The club’s Middlewood Road training base has remained in shutdown since the outset of the coronavirus pandemic last year, with only players and a small number of football staff allowed onto the premises.

The Star understands that no training has taken place over the last few of days since the very first positive cases were revealed.

The Accrington Stanley match is one of several across the Premier League and EFL to have been postponed over the next few days, prompting a debate over whether football authorities should enact a ‘circuit breaking’ halt in fixtures over the Christmas period.