Shrewsbury v Crewe Alexandra postponed due to second positive Town Covid-19 case

An unnamed Shrewsbury played returned a positive test on Tuesday and, as a result of further testing, another team-mate has tested positive.

The entire squad will now go into self isolation ahead of further tests next week and Shrewsbury have informed the league they are unable to fulfil the fixture, which would have been played behind closed doors due to the new tier system.

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A Town statement read: "The health and safety of all staff members at Shrewsbury Town Football Club remains paramount and the Club continually takes all necessary steps to protect all where possible. Therefore, Salop has informed the EFL that the Club is unable to fulfil our Sky Bet League One fixture with Crewe Alexandra this Saturday."

It is the first fixture Shrewsbury have had postponed as a direct result of positive coronavirus tests within the camp.

And Town’s clash against the Railwaymen is one of three third tier fixtures tomorrow to have been cancelled, alongside Peterborough v Doncaster and Rochdale v MK Dons.

Steve Cotterill’s side’s next scheduled fixture is the FA Cup third-round tie at Southampton on Saturday week.

Shrewsbury players will undertake more tests at the beginning of next week ahead of the build-up to the Saints tie.

Competition rules state that the club should notify the Football Association in as much time as possible in the light of ‘a significant number of players having tested positive or showing symptoms’ before the Professional Game Board take the action deemed appropriate ‘in its absolute discretion’.

The only previous occasion this season where the first-team squad was affected by the pandemic was in early October, where Ro-Shaun Williams and Daniel Udoh missed a couple of fixtures having come into contact with an individual who had tested posted.

Shrewsbury’s next scheduled league clash is another date with Lincoln City on Saturday, January 16, a third meeting with the Imps in a little over five weeks.

The fixture will be played behind closed doors at Montgomery Waters Meadow after the government’s new coronavirus tier restrictions moved Shropshire into tier three on Wednesday.

There is, however, another tier review taking place on January 13 to assess infection rates.

Positive Covid-19 cases meant that 14 midweek games across the English Football League and National League were postponed.

Rates in League One in particular appeared to be spiralling out of control. Top flight bosses including Albion’s Sam Allardyce have called for football to have a ‘circuit break’.