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Jack Byrne tested positive for Covid-19 after being on international duty with Ireland. Tommy Dickson/INPHO

Shamrock Rovers made to wait to clinch the title as Covid-19 cases force postponements

The Hoops could have been crowned champions tomorrow night.

LAST UPDATE | 15 Oct 2020

TWO SHAMROCK ROVERS players have tested positive for Covid-19 this week, the club has confirmed.

As a result, ‘several other players’ within the squad will follow a period of isolation after being identified as close contacts to one of the players in question.

The SSE Airtricity League has also taken the decision to postpone the club’s next three fixtures, with the Hoops on the cusp of clinching the league title.

In a statement issued this afternoon, Rovers said: “One player from the first-team squad [Aaron Greene] has returned a positive Covid-19 result following a test on Monday.

“Several other players within the squad will follow a period of isolation as close contacts to the positive tested player.

“Jack Byrne tested positive whilst with the Ireland senior team on Sunday and is self-isolating at home.”

Despite having four games left to play, Rovers could have been crowned Premier Division champions as early as tomorrow night. A win at home to Derry City – coupled with a draw or defeat for Bohemians away to Dundalk – would have left Stephen Bradley’s side with an unassailable lead at the top of the table.

However, the celebrations are now on hold after it was confirmed this evening that their games against Derry, Finn Harps (19 October) and St Patrick’s Athletic (23 October) have subsequently been postponed, with new dates to be announced “in due course”.

Bohemians have also reported that a first-team player has tested positive, and that another – a close contact who has tested negative – is also self-isolating as a result. Both players are asymptomatic.

“Bohemians made no request for tomorrow’s game away to Dundalk to be rescheduled and are happy that the fixture will proceed as planned,” the club said in a statement.

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