British Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the country on Sunday, pushing a new message to ‘stay alert’ but insisting considerable restrictions will remain in place.
Johnson did not give football the green light to continue and that appears to remain some way off, with no reference to sport in his address, which focused on the phased re-opening of businesses to boost the British economy.
The Premier League and all 20 clubs will meet on Monday to discuss how to complete the 2019-20 season, which has been suspended since mid-March due to the COVID-19 outbreak which has seen more than 219,000 cases and 31,855 deaths in the United Kingdom.
The first matter for discussion in the process to recommence competitive games is a return to training, with Monday 18 May previously flagged.
Any talk of a league resumption date or playing at neutral venues remains on the back burner with the recommencement of training the first milestone in the process.
The Prime Minister mentioned that from Wednesday, Britons will be permitted to exercise outdoors more than once a day and play sports but these activities must be restricted only to members within the same household.
Johnson’s address offered little guidelines on gatherings applicable for professional football clubs such as larger group activities or training at club facilities, but the Premier League will be eager to follow the Bundesliga’s example.
The German Football League put in place strict protocol for Bundesliga clubs which involved controlled group training and testing twice a week, but ultimately they’ll need to approval of government authorities and the Public Health England.
A third Brighton & Hove Albion tested positive over the weekend, adding another reason not to return to group training. All players continue to train at home and in individual sessions at club training grounds.
Premier League officials will speak with player representatives and members of the League Managers Association in midweek to continue the discussions around Project Restart in order to consult all relevant parties.