EFL returns amid growing expectation of weekend football cancellations

The Football League has confirmed that it will play its midweek fixtures but there are growing concerns that a significant part of the weekend’s programme could yet be postponed because of the Queen’s funeral.

Officers from across the country are expected to be drafted into London over the coming days and for the ceremony itself, stretching resources in the capital and in other major cities.

The Premier League said it was working behind the scenes to get games on, where possible, before more meetings with the government today.

Meanwhile a Football League source told the Guardian that while it wanted to play as many games as possible this weekend, and nothing was definitive, it would count as a success if the majority of the games kicked off then.

Uefa is expecting all the Champions League matches involving English teams, including Liverpool’s home match against Ajax on Tuesday and Chelsea’s and Manchester City’s games against Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund respectively on Wednesday.

However on Monday morning a source said that Arsenal’s home Europa League match against PSV remains up in the air partly because of policing issues and partly because it is a higher-risk game because of PSV fans.

If that game were postponed over policing concerns it seems unlikely that Saturday’s Tottenham v Leicester match would take place. Sunday’s Manchester United v Leeds, Brentford v Arsenal and Chelsea v Liverpool games are also major doubts given the large number of resources needed at these matches.

Meanwhile in the Championship, Millwall, QPR and Watford are due to be at home on Saturday, when Leyton Orient and Sutton United are the London clubs due to be playing home games in League Two.

In a statement the EFL confirmed that the