London, Dec 27 (IANS): The ongoing wave of Covid-19 cases looks certain to affect the second round of matches of the Christmas holiday period, with two games scheduled to be played on Tuesday already postponed.

The games between Leeds United and Aston Villa and Arsenal and Wolverhampton have both fallen victims to the virus, with Leeds and Wolves both badly affected, although Aston Villa will not be too disappointed given that coach Steven Gerrard is also infected and would have been unable to take his place in the dugout after missing Sunday's home defeat to Chelsea.

"Whilst there have been no new Covid cases in the playing squad, the majority of those who tested positive prior to the Liverpool game are not yet out of isolation," explained Leeds United, whose Boxing Day match against Liverpool was one of three matches postponed due to a Covid-19 outbreak.

Although it has not been postponed at the time of reporting, Crystal Palace's home game against Norwich City is also in danger, with Palace having seven first-team players and coach Patrick Viera sidelined since their Boxing Day defeat away to Tottenham Hotspur.

In the games that are likely to go ahead, an improving Tottenham visit Southampton, who are boosted by their Boxing Day win away to West Ham. The Hammers, on the other hand, will try to recover from that defeat against struggling Watford, reports Xinhua.

Leicester City coach Brendan Rodgers said after his side's 6-3 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday that he was facing his "most challenging period" as a coach.

That period isn't made easier by a home game against his former club Liverpool, and Rodgers can be forgiven for not thanking the Premier League for Leicester's Christmas fixture list.

Manchester City are in action on Wednesday and the league leaders look to extend their winning run to 10 games in when they visit Brentford in a vein of form that has seen them score 17 goals in their last three outings.

Brighton travel to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday after ending an 11-game run without a win with their Boxing Day triumph over Brighton, but they will do well to beat a rival who appear to have Romelu Lukaku back to his best after their 3-1 win away to Aston Villa.