UEFA Champions League matches go ahead this week

• Arsenal’s Europa League clash with PSV postponed

The English Premier League announced last Friday that fixtures would be postponed over the weekend following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, reports metro.co.uk. But the postponement does not affect UEFA Champions League matches.

Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, Celtic and Rangers are all in this season’s Champions League, with the second round of group games scheduled to take place across Europe this week.

And discussions have been held between UEFA and the British clubs to determine if their fixtures will indeed go ahead this week.

The Champions League group stage matches involving the British clubs are expected to go ahead largely as planned this week.

However, Rangers’ home match with Napoli has been put back by 24 hours to tomorrow. UEFA said the decision was made ‘due to the severe limitations on police resources and organisational issues related to the ongoing events surrounding the national mourning for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.’

Chelsea’s Group E clash with Salzburg is set to go ahead in London tomorrow night despite the expectation that their Premier League fixture with Liverpool at the weekend will be axed.

It is thought Premier League games in the capital are at risk of being postponed due to the severe pressure placed on police resources, with London expecting record-breaking visitors to the city in the run up to The Queen’s funeral on Monday, September 19.

Today, Tottenham make the trip to Lisbon to take on Sporting, whilst Liverpool’s game against Ajax at Anfield will be the first time a Premier League side has played in the Champions League in the UK following the passing of Her Majesty.

Meanwhile, Manchester City host Borussia Dortmund and Celtic will be away against Shakhtar Donetsk tomorrow night. However, Arsenal’s Europa League home match with PSV Eindhoven has been postponed following talks between the club, UEFA and the Metropolitan Police.

UEFA said in a statement: “UEFA today announced that the UEFA Europa League tie between Arsenal FC and PSV Eindhoven, originally to be played on September 15, has been postponed with a new date to be communicated in due course.

“This is due to the severe limitations on police resources and organisational issues related to the ongoing events surrounding the national mourning for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.”

Manchester United’s away trip to Moldova to face Sheriff will hold as planned on Thursday, with the match due to kick off at 5.45pm.

A huge police operation is required in London this week with the queen to lie in state between tomorrow and her funeral on September 19.

Arsenal’s Premier League visit to Brentford on Sunday is also in doubt due to the strain on police resources. The Gunners face a fixture pile-up in a campaign already set to be interrupted by a first ever winter World Cup.

Outside the upcoming international break, Mikel Arteta’s men are due to play every midweek before the World Cup break begins on November 13.

The group stages of UEFA’s club competitions are due to finish on November 3 with the draws for the knockout stages on November 7.