Norwich City face an anxious wait to see if they can fulfil their Premier League fixture against West Ham on Saturday due to Covid.

Four City players are believed to have missed Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa due to Covid symptoms or returning a positive test, with others having possible symptoms but able to be involved after testing negative.

The squad had a day off yesterday but all players and staff that are not already isolating will be tested amid heightened safety protocols at the Lotus Training Centre this morning.

Sporting director Stuart Webber spent much of Monday and Tuesday in dialogue with the Premier League for guidance with several players feeling unwell.

The Omicron variant is threatening to throw the Premier League festive schedule into chaos with Manchester United, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Leicester City, Brighton, as well as the Canaries, all reporting positive Covid cases.

United and Spurs recently had their games against Brentford and Brighton, respectively, postponed whilst Burnley against Watford was postponed at late notice due to a Covid outbreak in the Hornets' squad.

The 2021/22 Premier League handbook includes Covid protocols, and states the Premier League’s board will “only permit the rearrangement or postponement of a league match in exceptional circumstances”.

The board make calls on a case-by-case basis, and by way of guidance the Premier League says permission for a postponement will not be granted if a club have 14 or more players from their squad list available.

The Premier League have re-introduced measures where clubs must take daily lateral flow tests and perform at least two PCR tests per week as the omicron variant sweeps through the UK.

Additional mask wearing, limiting of time spent receiving physical treatment and social distancing are also being advised to reduce the risk of further cases at Premier League clubs.

In the aftermath of Tuesday’s defeat, head coach Dean Smith called for Premier League bosses give offer greater clarity on the rules around Covid. “I think there does need to be some guidance,” he said. “I’m not saying that all our players are symptomatic with Covid because some are injured as well. “(But) we do probably need a magic number telling us.

“What we don’t want to be doing is going into games where there is the opportunity for it to be passed around the game. The Covid situation is a worldwide problem, not just a football one.”