West Ham and Manchester City are not prepared to play their postponed Premier League match this weekend, after it was called off on Sunday as Storm Ciara wreaked havoc.

The game at the Etihad Stadium was cancelled on safety grounds after heavy rain and severe gales caused disruption across the country.

The postponement leaves the Premier League with a headache over when to rearrange the fixture because Pep Guardiola’s side are still in the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Champions League.

There is a window to play the game this weekend because both clubs are on their designated winter breaks.

Discussions will take place between the Premier League and both clubs this week but West Ham and City are not prepared to play the game during their scheduled two-week break.

The Premier League have previously said they expect clubs not to arrange ­competitive or friendly fixtures during their winter break, and the two clubs would be unhappy if they permitted an exception. David Moyes has given his players five days off and many of them have jetted off on holiday. They are due to return to training on Saturday.

City face a fixture pile-up because of the postponement but Guardiola is against fitting the game in this week.

Finding a time to play the game, though, presents a major problem for the Premier League. City’s game at home to Arsenal on March 1 has already been postponed because of their involvement in the Carabao Cup final that day at Wembley against Aston Villa.

Should City reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, another fixture would have to be rescheduled — at Chelsea — as well as the Arsenal and West Ham matches. There is a chance the West Ham game will not be rearranged until after the outcome of City’s Champions League tie against Real Madrid in mid-March.

Storm Ciara batters UK and Ireland - In pictures 35 show all Storm Ciara batters UK and Ireland - In pictures 1/35 Waves crash over Newhaven Lighthouse on the south coast of England AFP via Getty Images 2/35 A Toyota car in a sinkhole which appeared overnight in Hatch Road, Brentwood, in the aftermath of Storm Ciara, which hit the country Sunday PA 3/35 A woman tries to protect herself from the high winds and rain in Sheffield AFP via Getty Images 4/35 Body boarders ride the stormy waves at Broad Haven, Pembrokeshire, Wales, Britain as Storm Ciara approaches the Welsh coastline Reuters 5/35 A downed crushing a car in Wigan. PA 6/35 The ball hits the back of the net as Sunday League football continues on Clapham Common in south London as Storm Ciara hits large parts of Britain Reuters 7/35 Cars drive through floodwater as hurricane-force winds and rain affected the country's transport network leading to disruptions and prompting warnings of power cuts and a risk to life in Manchester Reuters 8/35 PA 9/35 A flooded car is pictured in Mytholmroyd AFP via Getty Images 10/35 PA 11/35 Flooded houses in Mytholmroyd, northern England AFP via Getty Images 12/35 A man enters a house on a flooded street in Mytholmroyd, northern England AFP via Getty Images 13/35 Floods ripped through the town of Mytholmroyd, northern England AFP via Getty Images 14/35 PA 15/35 PA 16/35 Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland PA 17/35 Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland PA 18/35 People sit in their cars to watch as they waves crash over the wall at Newhaven Harbour AFP via Getty Images 19/35 Sheep cut off by a flooding River Tweed Getty Images 20/35 A house cut off by flood waters near the river Tweed Getty Images 21/35 Staff struggle to hold onto a centre circle cover ahead of the William Hill Scottish Cup fifth round match at Broadwood Stadium, Glasgow PA 22/35 The RNLI Nehaven lifeboat is seen beyond waves as they crash into the sea wall at Newhaven Harbour AFP via Getty Images 23/35 Fans arrive in the heavy rain for the Premier League match at Bramall Lane between Sheffield United and AFC Bournemouth PA 24/35 A fan arrives in the heavy rain for the Premier League match at Bramall Lane between Sheffield United and AFC Bournemouth PA 25/35 Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland PA 26/35 Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland PA 27/35 High water levels in Hawes, North Yorkshire. PA 28/35 A trampoline has blown onto the railway line between Sevenoaks and Orpington PA 29/35 High water levels in Hawes, North Yorkshire. PA 30/35 South Shore Fire Station handout photo of firefighters rescuing a person from a car in a flooded street in Blackpool. PA 31/35 Huge waves are battering the south coast Getty Images 32/35 People walk along the promenade as waves in break in a stormy sea alongside the lighthouse in New Brighton AFP via Getty Images 33/35 Flooding in Hawes, North Yorkshire. PA 34/35 Sandbags are place the entrance to Coco Cafe Salthill. PA 35/35 Blackrock Diving Tower in Salthill Co. Galway is battered by waves as Ireland and the UK brace for Storm Ciara. PA 1/35 Waves crash over Newhaven Lighthouse on the south coast of England AFP via Getty Images 2/35 A Toyota car in a sinkhole which appeared overnight in Hatch Road, Brentwood, in the aftermath of Storm Ciara, which hit the country Sunday PA 3/35 A woman tries to protect herself from the high winds and rain in Sheffield AFP via Getty Images 4/35 Body boarders ride the stormy waves at Broad Haven, Pembrokeshire, Wales, Britain as Storm Ciara approaches the Welsh coastline Reuters 5/35 A downed crushing a car in Wigan. PA 6/35 The ball hits the back of the net as Sunday League football continues on Clapham Common in south London as Storm Ciara hits large parts of Britain Reuters 7/35 Cars drive through floodwater as hurricane-force winds and rain affected the country's transport network leading to disruptions and prompting warnings of power cuts and a risk to life in Manchester Reuters 8/35 PA 9/35 A flooded car is pictured in Mytholmroyd AFP via Getty Images 10/35 PA 11/35 Flooded houses in Mytholmroyd, northern England AFP via Getty Images 12/35 A man enters a house on a flooded street in Mytholmroyd, northern England AFP via Getty Images 13/35 Floods ripped through the town of Mytholmroyd, northern England AFP via Getty Images 14/35 PA 15/35 PA 16/35 Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland PA 17/35 Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland PA 18/35 People sit in their cars to watch as they waves crash over the wall at Newhaven Harbour AFP via Getty Images 19/35 Sheep cut off by a flooding River Tweed Getty Images 20/35 A house cut off by flood waters near the river Tweed Getty Images 21/35 Staff struggle to hold onto a centre circle cover ahead of the William Hill Scottish Cup fifth round match at Broadwood Stadium, Glasgow PA 22/35 The RNLI Nehaven lifeboat is seen beyond waves as they crash into the sea wall at Newhaven Harbour AFP via Getty Images 23/35 Fans arrive in the heavy rain for the Premier League match at Bramall Lane between Sheffield United and AFC Bournemouth PA 24/35 A fan arrives in the heavy rain for the Premier League match at Bramall Lane between Sheffield United and AFC Bournemouth PA 25/35 Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland PA 26/35 Flooded streets in Appleby-in-Westmorland PA 27/35 High water levels in Hawes, North Yorkshire. PA 28/35 A trampoline has blown onto the railway line between Sevenoaks and Orpington PA 29/35 High water levels in Hawes, North Yorkshire. PA 30/35 South Shore Fire Station handout photo of firefighters rescuing a person from a car in a flooded street in Blackpool. PA 31/35 Huge waves are battering the south coast Getty Images 32/35 People walk along the promenade as waves in break in a stormy sea alongside the lighthouse in New Brighton AFP via Getty Images 33/35 Flooding in Hawes, North Yorkshire. PA 34/35 Sandbags are place the entrance to Coco Cafe Salthill. PA 35/35 Blackrock Diving Tower in Salthill Co. Galway is battered by waves as Ireland and the UK brace for Storm Ciara. PA

Guardiola has been critical of the English schedule, and making City and West Ham play during their winter break would leave the Premier League open to criticism. The match between West Ham and City was not the only fixture to fall victim to Storm Ciara.

England’s 13-6 Six Nations victory over Scotland at Murrayfield was played in appalling conditions on Saturday, while the women’s Six Nations match between Scotland and England in Glasgow was postponed until Monday afternoon.

All six Women’s Super League matches were called off, including the London derby between Arsenal and Tottenham. Both rugby league games in the Super League were also postponed, as were race meetings at Exeter and Southwell.

The game between City and West Ham was called off five hours before kick-off. Trains from London took five hours to reach Manchester, where tram routes were severely disrupted due to fallen trees.

Although the pitch at the Etihad was playable, there was flooding around the ground.

City said the game did not take place “in the interests of safety”. West Ham agreed the fixture should be postponed. The Hammers will be running free coach travel for supporters for the rescheduled fixture.