PM Boris Johnson says the government are discussing banning sporting events due to the growing threat of the coronavirus outbreak.
There are 590 confirmed COVID-19 cases currently in the UK, a number which is expected to rise significantly in the coming months.
The virus will have a huge affect on the sporting calendar, with the NBA already postponing their season with two players testing positive.
“We are considering banning major public events like sporting fixtures,” said Johnson.
“The scientific advice is this has little effect on the spread – but it does place a burden on other public services.”
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A number of football games have been cancelled, including Wednesday’s game between Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium.
There had been rumours on Thursday afternoon that Manchester United’s last 16 Europa League fixture against LASK will be cancelled with the tournament set to be postponed by UEFA.
But the Reds will face the Austrian side behind closed doors, and there is no official word that the tournament has been postponed.
It seems a matter of time until Premier League fixtures are played behind closed doors or postponed entirely, with the threat of the virus spreading further having massive implications for sporting institutions across the world.
