3:23 Sky Sports News Chief Reporter Bryan Swanson says the Premier League insists their medical protocols are robust after the latest round of coronavirus testing shows 18 positive cases - the highest of the season so far.
Pep Guardiola s side saw their Premier League fixture against Everton, scheduled for December 28, postponed hours before the game as a result of the outbreak in the men s side.
The club announced Kyle Walker and Gabriel Jesus had tested positive for Covid-19 on Christmas Day, with a further four first-team players since confirmed to have been affected, in addition to three members of backroom staff.
A new date for the WSL game against the Hammers will be confirmed in due course.
Premier League Confirms 40 Covid-19 Cases in One Week thisdaylive.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thisdaylive.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
And the news regarding the positive tests for Carson, Palmer and the unnamed staff member represents a worrying latest development, with Covid-19 continuing to spread within the Premier League club.
The bigger picture
The latest news will come as a concern to head coach Pep Guardiola, who has already seen his options limited in terms of squad selection over the past month.
While the latest two players to have tested positive for Covid-19 are not essential members of the Catalan s starting XI, the continuing spread of the virus offers a bleak outlook with there the obvious potential for more players and staff to test positive.
derby day
Sergio Aguero returns for Manchester City, but no Paul Pogba for Man United in line-ups for Carabao Cup semi-final clash LIVE ON TALKSPORT 5th January 2021, 8:00 pm
Manchester City travel to fierce rivals Manchester United in a mouth-watering Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday night.
The two Premier League giants are the top-flights in-form teams – and you can follow all the action LIVE on talkSPORT. Getty Images - Getty Guardiola and Solskjaer’s men go head to head on Wednesday
An impressive run of seven wins in nine top-flight matches has seen Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side shoot up the Premier League table and they are now at their highest position at the turn of the year since Sir Alex Ferguson retired as champion at the end of the 2012/13 season.