Published 17:35 IST, May 18th 2020
Raheem Sterling concerned about players' fitness as Premier League aims at mid-June return
Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling believes that Premier League footballers will require at least a month of training before the league resumes.
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Football fans from all over the world tuned into Bundesliga action this past weekend. The Revierderby featuring Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04 was the first Bundesliga game in over two months while RB Leipzig also featured on May 16. With the Bundesliga returning in smooth fashioning, all eyes then turned to the Premier League. The UK Government reportedly gave the league the green light to resume in mid-June. However, a number of clubs have voiced their concerns regarding a Premier League return next month, stating that it is too soon to be thinking about a Premier League return with the pandemic still causing havoc. Man City star Raheem Sterling joined that chorus this week as he raised concerns over the risk of players picking up injuries after a long hiatus.
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Premier League Project Restart: Raheem Sterling worried about players' fitness
Man City winger Raheem Sterling believes Premier League players will require at least a month of training before the league kicks off again. Raheem Sterling's claims were backed by leading physio Gary Lewin, who also said that there is a large possibility that Premier League players will pick up injuries if the league restarts in June. It is reported that the Premier League's 20 teams will cast their votes on Monday on the subject of the return of group training. The vote will decide if the players can get back to group training from Tuesday, May 19. According to all the buzz surrounding Premier League Project Restart, the league is looking to resume fixtures by June 12.
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Raheem Sterling on Premier League return
Raheem Sterling, in an interview with Sportsmail, said that players cannot return to the field with only one-and-a-half or two weeks of training. Raheem Sterling stated that players will need a full four to five weeks of practice before the Premier League return. "You're not playing friendlies, you're playing to win. It's going to count for something. You do need to do that preparation definitely you can't just go straight in. I know the clubs are in talks and doing their best to try and find the best resolution for this" added Raheem Sterling while talking about the Premier League return in June.
The return of Germany's top-tier league, Bundesliga, has encouraged other European countries to resume their league. While a return could be on the cards for LaLiga and Serie A, France's Ligue 1 has already called off their season, crowning PSG champions. The likes of Belgium and Scotland also decided to call off their leagues.
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Premier League return: Premier League Project Restart talks
Premier League clubs are expected to give the go-ahead for the first stage of Project Restart to commence with players beginning training this week. At least 14 of the 20 clubs' need to vote in favour of a return which would see the competition resume on June 19.
— Ben Dinnery (@BenDinnery) May 18, 2020
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17:35 IST, May 18th 2020