'Should the players strike?': Pep Guardiola blasts Premier League going ahead amid virus surge

Pep Guardiola has suggested direct action may be required for the game’s authorities to heed concerns over the demands placed on players

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. Picture: Owen Humphreys

Pep Guardiola has raised the prospect of strike action and Rafael Benítez has claimed “money is now managing the game” as anger grows among Premier League managers over players welfare.

The Premier League rejected Everton’s request to postpone their St Stephen's Day game at Burnley owing to five positive Covid cases and six injuries in Benitez’s squad. The Everton manager believes his club are being punished for not closing their training ground and that the league’s integrity – as well as its profitability as a sellable, televised product – could be damaged by fulfilling fixtures with academy players.