Premier League players in tier four areas will be tested for Covid-19 twice a week, as soon as it is practically possible to do so.
Players in the top flight have been tested on a weekly basis since the start of the 2020-21 season. But testing at clubs in tier four areas will now revert to the level used during ‘Project Restart’ in the summer.
The increased testing will be widened out to clubs in lower-tier areas from next month, it is understood.
The Government placed large parts of south-east and eastern England into tier four last weekend over fears of a new strain of the virus which is believed to be more transmissible.
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The Premier League clubs currently in tier four are Arsenal, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Tottenham and West Ham.
The league’s latest figures were released on Monday night and showed there were seven positive cases out of 1,569 players and club staff tested.
