OXFORD United head coach Karl Robinson has called for clubs who break coronavirus protocols to receive harsher sanctions.

The U’s trip to Bristol Rovers this weekend was postponed on Tuesday due to a Covid outbreak in the hosts’ camp, with players and staff self-isolating.

It is the fourth United game this season called off due to coronavirus cases within the opposition ranks, after it took three attempts to play Crewe Alexandra and the derby with Swindon Town was rearranged.

Rovers have not revealed how many positive tests have been returned, but the EFL is set to investigate the circumstances and can hand out fines and points deductions if protocols have been breached.

The postponement came on the day Sunderland faced AFC Wimbledon despite having eight players self-isolating, with the Black Cats citing a ‘lack of clarity regarding (the) potential sanctions’ of a postponement.

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Robinson was confident the north east club had not broken social distancing precautions, but wants tougher punishments for those that flout the rules.

He said: “When you have people who travel on coaches and stay in hotels when they know they’ve got Covid, at some stage points (deductions) have to be put in front of managers if they do the protocols wrong.

“If I have a meeting with everyone in one room and someone tests positive, that’s my fault.

“If we have every single player in the gym at one time, that’s my fault.

“We’re in different dressing rooms, we sit in different seats and everyone’s socially-distanced while they’re eating.

“Our training protocol has to change because of how close people are for a period of time.

“We’re constantly checking that.

“We spend money on testing the second someone has a little cold and there’s other teams that don’t and get away with it.

“The fine will come next season – something has to change.”

Earlier this month, Scottish Premiership sides Kilmarnock and St Mirren were handed 3-0 defeats after they missed games having been found guilty of breaking coronavirus regulations.

With Rovers isolating until Christmas Eve, the earliest date the rearranged game could take place is January 19 – United’s only free midweek next month.