Crewe Alexandra manager David Artell says the club will continue to do everything they can to continue to fulfil fixtures. Crewe’s squad was slightly depleted for our re-arranged fixture at Rochdale with players affected by Covid-19 self-isolation procedures, illness (unrelated to Covid), injuries and the continued suspension of Captain Perry Ng.

EFL clubs are to be tested twice a week and Artell is adamant that football has to continue.

Artell told the club’s official website: “Clubs will be tested twice a week. We are just waiting for them to be delivered.

“We lost a couple last week after testing and we had a few out with illness, that isn’t Covid related and Perry was suspended, so we it was probably our most inexperienced bench all season with three first year pros.

“It was probably our most inexperienced 18 we have had but we want the games played. I would imagine Rochdale probably had their strongest 18 and were putting subs on left, right, and centre. We haven’t made many subs of late but you won’t see me complaining.

“You just have to get on with it and that is what we are doing. I see plenty of people saying football should be stopped or extended, and they put that down to the health reasons, but I also think some of them are using it to bide their time. They need time.

“They might be struggling at the bottom of the table or think they can get a play-off place or whatever on points per game. They will looking to benefit themselves.

“We are being tested twice a week and that is probably more than anyone else than say the health service. All the regulations, procedures and protocols are in place in our industry and the number of people being tested is bound is throw up some cases.

The boss added: “If Joe Public was tested twice a week then I am sure the numbers would shoot up. We are identifying those players or staff who are asymptomatic and making them self-isolate for 10 days. We are taking them out of the community and being protective in that way.”