Weekend Premier League matches ‘almost certain’ to be postponed after the Queen’s death

This weekend’s Premier League matches are ‘almost certain’ to be postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II as the United Kingdom enters a period of mourning.

The nation will come to a standstill to commemorate and pay tribute to Her Majesty’s 70-year reign with 10 days of official mourning, meaning the sporting schedule will be halted as a result.

An official announcement is not expected until Friday morning, with sporting associations waiting to be led by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

But the Daily Mail are reporting that Premier League clubs believe it is virtually certain that this weekend’s matches will be rescheduled.

Manchester United and West Ham both played home matches in the Europa League and Europa Conference League respectively on Thursday night, but that decision was predominantly taken by UEFA and was heavily influenced by away fans having already travelled to the UK.

A full round of Premier League matches is scheduled for this weekend, beginning with a lunchtime kick-off between Fulham and Chelsea, but the games would need to be replayed at a later date – likely in 2023 due to the fixture build-up caused by the World Cup later this year.

The EFL has already confirmed that its Friday night matches – Burnley against Norwich in the Championship and Tranmere Rovers vs Stockport County in League Two – have been postponed.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has died after 70 years on the throne, with her death announced by Buckingham Palace on September 8, 2022.

She died at the age of 96 surrounded by her family at her home in Balmoral, including her son and heir to the throneCharles, the Prince of Wales, and her grandsons, the Duke Of Cambridge, Prince William and the Duke of