Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has called for "clarity" over the postponement of Premier League games due to coronavirus.
The Gunners were forced to play their opening league game of the season against Brentford despite returning a number of positive tests, but more recently the Premier League has called games off amid surging rates across the country.
Nine games have now been postponed within the last week due to outbreaks in various squads, including three during the midweek round of fixtures and half of this weekend's games.
However, Arteta has called for clearer explanations as to when a match will get postponed in order to protect the integrity of the competition, with the three midweek cancellations all coming at short notice.
"Health wise I hope we're doing everything we can to protect everybody. The vaccine protocols are in place. I'm sure with everything we are doing we can do our best to maintain everybody healthy," the Spaniard told reporters.
"In terms of the competition there we need more clarity on why those games are not being played and what you need to not play a game so you can maintain the fairness of the competition and for me this is a big thing now.
"We always want to play when we have the right conditions to do so 100%. But we've been here on the other side of the table when we've had all the arguments in the world to not play a football match and ended up playing it. That's why we need clarity to because the fairness of the competition can be altered.
"We need clarity, the regulators will make the decision over whether a game is played or not but we all need to understand the reasons behind it. We are going to have to find a way. We knew when we started the season this (Covid problems) could be a possibility and I am sure there was a Plan A, B and C.
"We have the AFCON as well, we know the date of the World Cup coming, so we need a flexible calendar now because this world is not the world we used to live in a few years ago."
Arteta also confirmed that Arsenal are yet to record any positive coronavirus tests in the latest wave.
"We are good. We are waiting for more tests which we will have this afternoon so we will wait and see, but this is changing every day. That's the uncertainty that we all have. Hopefully we don't have any cases but we have to wait and see," he added.
Arsenal are due to face Leeds United at Elland Road on Saturday.
Barney Corkhill
