Eimear Ryan: Should we be surprised that vaccine uptake is slow in the Premier League bubble?

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp: 'I trust experts'

If the past two years have taught us anything, it’s that like the virus itself, we have to keep evolving. Old ways of doing things — especially in the winter when cases are at their peak — need to be re-examined and changed if necessary. This is often painful. There are a lot of people not flying home this Christmas; there’s a lot of parties cancelled. And long-running sporting institutions like the marquee Premier League St Stephen’s Day fixtures look increasingly under threat.

The stats that have emerged over the last week have been sobering. Ninety players tested positive, almost doubling the previous week’s tally; 10 matches were cancelled; and it emerged that 16% of Premier League players are still unvaccinated. Players and managers alike have spoken out about the madness of proceeding with the fixture list as planned. To this Monday morning quarterback, at least, packing the depths of December with fixtures doesn’t seem like the most sensible move.