Premier League managers raise concerns over June 12 date, demand time for players' fitness

There has been quite some uncertainty in England despite June 12 being marked as the date for the Premier League return. Players and club medical staff at various clubs had earlier expressed their reservations over their safety should the Premier League return be rushed. However, this time around it is the Premier League managers who have raised concerns amid Premier League return talks. 

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Premier League return: Managers flag concern

Premier League teams are set to return to training next week, with the competition set to reportedly resume by June 12. However, the Premier League managers, in a meeting on Wednesday, raised concerns over the schedule of the fixtures. Some managers also questioned the paucity of time for their players to be match-fit after almost two months of self-isolation, according to The Times. 

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Premier League return: Three phases of training 

One of the managers reportedly stated that it will be a difficult task to convince the players that it is safe to return to full-contact training. The training phase has been divided into three steps with the first step involving training in small groups with absolutely no contact. The second step involves playing football while maintaining distance. The third step permits football without any contact issues, with prior permission from the Premier League. 

Apart from the managers, several players too have raised concerns. Watford captain Troy Deeney and West Ham United player Mark Noble have cast doubt if the Premier League could actually resume anytime soon. It was also reported that several Premier League players have discussed the issues related to their health and safety on a WhatsApp group. 

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Premier League return: Coronavirus update in UK

The resumption of the Premier League is being carried out according to the protocol set out in Project Restart, a five-point framework. The framework includes - phased return to training in May, full squad training by the last week of May, Premier League resumption by mid-June, a comprehensive coronavirus testing program, the cost of which shall be born by the Premier League and government cooperation during matchdays, including medical and police.

Meanwhile, the number of cases in the country has increased, according to the latest coronavirus update in UK. Approximately 33,000 people have also died due to the virus so far. 

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