The 2019/20 Premier League season is unlikely to resume before June 8, according to a report from Sky Sports, with an aim to completing the remaining matches within a five-week period once the campaign resumes.
Premier League football has been on pause since March due to the outbreak. A resumption in May had been targeted earlier, but with lockdown still firmly in place, that idea has already been dismissed.
There had been a recent proposal to set a deadline of June 30 for the season to be finished. But in a meeting involving the Premier League, all twenty clubs and other major stakeholders, that idea wasn’t discussed.
All the Premier League clubs remain committed and determined to get the season over the line, and as things stand, June 8 is seen as the best-case scenario to resume footballing action, as per the report.
The UK Government has confirmed that the nationwide lockdown will be in place for at least three more weeks, that is, until May 7.
If given the go-ahead by the government, players could resume training after that, with such a scenario allowing for the season to resume in early June.
The training will be conducted in controlled sessions ensuring that individuals are kept at a safe distance apart. Another possibility being considered is footballers arriving to training grounds in their kits to minimise close-quarter interactions.
Matches, if they resume, will be played behind closed doors with all the players, coaches and match officials being tested.
The last Premier League game was played on March 13. There are still 92 matches left to be played, with each team having nine or 10 matches pending.
The next shareholders' meeting is on May 1, when the situation and the options available will be assessed once again.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Paul Ellis
