MANCHESTER, Jan 1 ― Manchester United and Manchester City will play their rescheduled fixtures from the opening weekend of the season in January, the Premier League announced yesterday.

Both Manchester clubs did not play on the opening weekend in September due to their participation in the knockout stages of last season's European club competitions which ended only in August due to the Covid-19 hiatus.

Burnley will host second-placed United on January 12 while City host Aston Villa on January 20.

The fixtures add to a packed schedule for both Manchester clubs who also play each other in the League Cup semi-final on January 6 before they begin their FA Cup campaign the following weekend.

City, eighth in the standings, have two games in hand after Monday's match at Everton was postponed due to a Covid-19 outbreak at their club.

City's first team have since returned to training after their facilities were closed for two days but the league has yet to reschedule the game against Everton. ― Reuters