All EFL fixtures suspended until April due to coronavirus

It means Doncaster Rovers’ fixtures are on a period of hiatus and Saturday’s scheduled clash with AFC Wimbledon will not go ahead.

The away games at Portmouth, Accrington Stanley, Bolton Wanderers and Burton Albion will also need to be rescheduled.

On Thursday, the EFL and the Premier League had confirmed their intention to allow fixtures to be played as planned after taking government advice.

But confirmed cases of coronavirus within clubs – including Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Chelsea player Callum Hudson-Odoi – have forced a change of thought.

The EFL board met on Friday morning to discuss the change in situation and quickly decided to suspend the competition, with the primary concern being the safety of staff and players.

The decision to suspend the season was confirmed in a statement, which read: “The FA, Premier League, EFL and Barclays FA Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship have collectively agreed to postpone the professional game in England until 3 April at the earliest.

“This action, which will be kept under constant review, has been taken due to the increasing numbers of Clubs taking steps to isolate their players and staff because of the COVID-19 virus.

"The postponements include all matches in the Championship, League One and League Two, as well as all Academy and youth team fixtures.

“In addition, Clubs are being advised to suspend indefinitely all non-essential activities which include, but are not limited to, player appearances, training ground visits and fan meetings.

“Whilst the EFL Board has continued to take the advice and guidance offered by the Government and its health advisors, emerging developments mean now is the time to implement football’s contingency plans in response to the crisis.

“A further update on these plans will be given post an EFL Board Meeting next week.

“This decision has not been taken lightly, but the EFL must prioritise the health and well-being of players, staff and supporters while also acknowledging the Government’s national efforts in tackling this outbreak.”

There are no guarantees the season will resume on the weekend of April 4 and it is expected the decision will be under constant review.