Match of the Day host and pundits decision made after…

Match of the Day host and pundits decision made after Gary Lineker told to 'step back'

Match of the Day will go ahead on Saturday evening without a presenter or pundits after Gary Lineker was told to 'step back' from the show on Friday.

Regular anchor-man Lineker was pulled from the line-up in the wake of comments he had made on social media regarding the government's new immigration policy. But the situation escalated on Friday evening when pundits Ian Wright and Alan Shearer both pulled out of tomorrow's broadcast in solidarity with their colleague.

And now, the BBC has confirmed that the popular Premier League highlights show will now go ahead with no presenters or pundits at all.

A spokesperson for the BBC said: “Some of our pundits have said that they don’t wish to appear on the programme while we seek to resolve the situation with Gary.

“We understand their position and we have decided that the programme will focus on match action without studio presentation or punditry.”

An earlier statement from the BBC had claimed that long-serving presenter Lineker, who moved into television work after a stellar playing career in football, had 'stepped back' from presenting duties until the row over his use of social media could be resolved.

But a text from Lineker himself was then recited on 5news by presenter Dan Walker which claimed that the former England striker had been told that he could not present the show.

It prompted Match of the Day's regular pundits Wright and Shearer to both quickly withdraw from tomorrow's broadcast themselves.

Former Arsenal star Wright tweeted: "Everybody knows what Match of the Day means to me, but I’ve told the BBC I won’t be doing it tomorrow. Solidarity."

Shearer then put his own message out on social media, tweeting: "I have informed the BBC that I won’t be appearing on MOTD tomorrow night."

The quick withdrawal from both pundits left the BBC in a difficult position before a decision was made to go ahead purely with the match schedule highlights, minus the usual studio presentation and analysis.

These are the games that will feature on Match of the Day tomorrow.

Bournemouth v Liverpool
Everton v Brentford
Leeds United v Brighton
Leicester City v Chelsea
Tottenham Hotspur v Nottingham Forest
Crystal Palace v Manchester City

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