ANKARA

Liverpool temporarily closed the senior team training facility on Wednesday due to an increasing number of suspected COVID-19 cases, the English Premier League club said on Wednesday.

"Liverpool Football Club can confirm the first-team training facilities at AXA Training Centre have been temporarily closed due to a rapidly growing number of suspected positive COVID-19 cases," the Reds said in a statement.

The decision was taken after consultations with the relevant health authority, the statement said.

Pepijn Lijnders, Liverpool's assistant manager, was the latest Reds member to have tested positive, the club confirmed.

In addition to Lijnders, many Liverpool players and staff were said to have contracted COVID-19.

On Tuesday, Liverpool applied to the EFL (English Football League) for postponement of their upcoming fixture in the Carabao Cup this week due to health reasons.

Liverpool had been paired with Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semifinal and the first leg is scheduled to be played in London's Emirates Stadium on Thursday.