COLCHESTER United head coach Steve Ball admits the League Two season may require a circuit break if the number of players testing positive for Covid-19 continues to rise.

The U’s players will report to the JobServe Community Stadium at 8.30am this morning for the EFL’s mandatory testing, on the back of their game against Tranmere Rovers being postponed on Saturday.

The clash was suspended after players in both camps showed symptoms of coronavirus, prior to the match.

And while he is hopeful that the campaign can continue, U’s boss Ball has stressed the health of players, staff and families must be the top priority.

Ball said: “I don’t want to be negative about it but you’d have to think there would be a number of positives coming out of the blanket testing for all 72 league clubs.

“I think the Premier League had quite a few come out and obviously, the EFL has far more member clubs and staff.

“I don’t want to think the worst and be negative but it’s very likely, off the back of those results that you’re going to have teams that are going to have positives.

“I know that there’s talk about a circuit break coming in but whether that happens or not, if a number of positives come back on a large scale I’m sure it’s something that they’ll be looking at doing.

“At the minute, there are teams like Sunderland who are five or six games behind on their fixtures.

“I heard the Accrington manager (John Coleman) the other day talk about the fact that they’re going to be playing two or three times a week even to make the games up at this rate and it's just going to be too much.

“Listen, I’m not part of the decision-making process and the powers that be will decide that.

“All I do know is that there are people dying every day of it of the pandemic and until the vaccination really kicks in, it’s not great.

“What matters to me is my family’s health and safety – I’m sure everyone is the same and if that means the season curtailed for a number of weeks or a break or no break but more testing, it’s got to be the right thing because people’s lives are at risk.”

Colchester had two positive Covid-19 cases within their squad, prior to the Tranmere postponement.

The match was officially called off at 1.50pm, upon agreement from both clubs.

Ball added: “It was a massive disappointment and I’m sure Tranmere were disappointed too, having travelled a long way for the game.

“But it’s the health of people and their families at risk, so it’s the right decision.

“I think it’s going to become more and more common with the new variant and everything else.

“It seems like it’s every day that there’s a game off now.

“This is the first time that we’ve been involved in it.

“We’ve got an excellent chairman who ensures that the health and safety of the players is paramount and that’s what has got to happen.”