Premier League restart heading for a week delay until June 19 so scared stars won’t be rushed back
PREMIER LEAGUE players have been assured they will not be rushed back for Project Restart.
Several stars voiced their concerns in their summit with the League, PFA and medical experts yesterday.
Both the League and PFA admitted to the union representatives and captains of the 20 teams that a June 12 return is looking like a non-starter.
And it could now be June 19 before English football’s top flight returns.
Some clubs are already back in individual training but the rest will be back next Monday. The players insisted they would not be ready physically by May 25 to return to full contact training.
And UK Sport chief Sally Munday has told them: “The choice to return to training is a personal one,” and they can “opt in”.
One sticking point at the three-hour meeting was a document all players must sign over each club’s Covid-19 policy.
Some players thought it was a disclaimer over whether they suffered a serious coronavirus illness.
A few players, with Watford’s Troy Deeney particularly vocal, were also concerned about health protocols compared to the rest of the League’s senior players.
But England’s deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam tried to reassure them. The Premier League will hold another meeting with clubs on Monday.
Top agent Kia Joorabchian told Sky Sports: “We are all interested in the health, safety and security of all those around us.
“I think all players are keen to get back to football, bring joy back to the fans, to the clubs, to play and to do what they do best as long as the conditions are safe.”
The Government yesterday released guidance for how professional sports organisations should return during the crisis.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport issued the information which covered various safety aspects.
It is expected that a few Prem players will not turn up for training on Monday.
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Munday said: “The choice to return to training is a personal one.
“Every sport is different and everyone’s circumstances are different. Whilst clearly there are many who are keen to return to training as soon as possible, there are those who will have genuine concerns or personal issues that make this challenging.
“We are therefore asking all sports to work through the guidance carefully, to give confidence to both athletes and support staff that they can ‘opt in’ to any return to training safely.”
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