Crystal Palace boss Patrick Vieira tested positive for COVID-19

The Premier League club released a statement on their

less than three hours before the kick-off, adding that assistant manager

Osian Roberts

would take charge.

"We can confirm that Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira is self-isolating after returning a positive test for Covid-19, and will be absent from the touchline for today's [Sunday] match against Spurs.”

The statement read

.

"Assistant manager Osian Roberts will deputize for Vieira for today's match."

Following a number of positive coronavirus tests,

are said to have discussed rescheduling the match with the Premier League on Christmas Day.

However, their request to have their trip to

Stadium postponed was rejected by the Premier League.

The

announced last week that if a team has 13 fit outfield players plus a goalkeeper, a game will be played.

Former

captain

Vieira

said on Friday:

"We hope we are going to be OK but when you are looking at the number of cases around (the country), we start to be worried.

"We had a couple of cases in our football club in the last couple of days. We try our best to prevent and avoid a situation but it is worrying because we don't know how the next couple of days will go."

The virus has already disrupted the holiday season, with Premier League fixtures between

,

, and

all postponed, and only 10 games throughout the Football League will go ahead.

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