Sheffield Wednesday youngsters match called off as Coronavirus fears threaten to halt Championship

The clash was meant to take place this afternoon at Birmingham, with kick-off at 1.30pm.

There has been no official confirmation of the reason behind the call, but it is extremely likely that the postponement is due to the increasing Coronavirus pandemic, which is threatening to halt EFL and Premier League matches.

The EFL will meet at 10.30 this morning to discuss their plans, with the fixtures schedule expected to be suspended until further notice.

Wednesday face the prospect of three matches in a week, with Nottingham Forest – whose owner Evangelos Marinakis confirmed he was suffering from the virus earlier this week – coming before a trip to Bristol City and the visit of West Brom.

All matches are understood to be unlikely to go ahead as planned.

A statement said: “The EFL Board will meet this morning to make a decision on this weekend’s fixtures and beyond.”

Yesterday Owls boss Garry Monk confirmed that no players or staff had shown any symptoms of the illness and that all necessary precautions were being taken to ensure their health.

This morning Accrington Stanley’s League One match at Portsmouth was called off and Everton players and staff were put into self-isolation after one of their players showed symptoms of the illness. The two-week quarantine guidelines will likely see their Merseyside derby on Sunday pulled.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and England international Callum Hudson-Odoi are among the high-profile figures to have tested positive for Coronavirus.