Premier League postpones weekend's fixtures following Queen Elizabeth II's death

• The Queen died on Thursday evening
• PL confirmed games off on Friday
• Next weekend's fixtures may face same fate

WHAT HAPPENED? As a nation, Great Britain continues to mourn the death of the Queen, aged 96. Following news that Friday's sporting events have been cancelled, the Premier League has announced that the games scheduled to be played this weekend will not take place as planned in light of the event. The Football League and Women's Super League have also stated that the latest round of fixtures falling under their respective remits have been postponed.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: With the Queen's funeral due to take place at some point over the next 10 days, next weekend's Premier League fixtures may also have to be rescheduled.

AND WHAT'S MORE: The fixture list is already tightly packed because of the mid-season Qatar World Cup. Space will now have to be found in the calendar to insert at least one round of matches, and that will likely be in the new year.

WHAT WAS SAID: A statement from the Premier League read: "At a meeting this morning, Premier League clubs paid tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. To honour her extraordinary life and contribution to the nation, and as a mark of respect, this weekend's Premier League match round will be postponed, including Monday evening's game. Further updates regarding Premier League fixtures during the period of mourning will be provided in due course."

Richard Masters, chief executive of the Premier League, added: "We and our clubs would like to pay tribute to Her Majesty's long and unwavering service to our country. As our longest-serving monarch, she has been an inspiration and leaves behind an incredible legacy following a life of dedication. This is a tremendously sad time for not just the nation but also for the millions of people around the world who admired her, and we join together with all those in mourning her passing."

STORY IN THREE PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT FOR PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS: The English clubs due to compete in UEFA competitions next week will now wait on the fate of their European fixtures. Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City are currently expecting to play at home in the Champions League, while Arsenal's Europa League match is due to take place at the Emirates.