The Premier League is set to ban tackling and disinfect pitches in the first phase of Project Restart, with players asked to observe social distancing guidelines even when on football pitch.
Representatives from all 20 Premier League teams met on Friday as they try to create a plan to restart the campaign, though there have been several disagreements over how it should be achieved.
Plans to stage games at neutral venues have now been scrapped, while the bottom six teams are adamant they will not play unless relegation is removed – something the Football Association is not in support of.
Now a list of directives has been sent to players and coaches regarding the next phase of training, with the BBC claiming that players will be banned from tackling for now.
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Premier League managers hope training can resume next Monday, with a further meeting between teams scheduled to take place the same day to progress talks over restarting the season.
Players will be restricted to groups of five and will need to observe two metre gaps between each other, with no contact allowed.
Phase two will follow several weeks later and see entire first-team players back on the pitch together, though it remains to be seen if tackling and contact will be reintroduced even after now.
Players will be tested for the virus twice a week and take a daily pre-training questionnaire and temperature check, while the players will be encouraged to maintain personal hygiene and use PPE.
The government wants to bring football back to boost the morale of the nation, though a recent study carried out from YouGov showed that 73% of Brits surveyed would not feel the same way about football’s return.
A couple of players have openly aired their reservations about returning, notably Danny Rose who said: ‘Football shouldn’t even be spoken about until the numbers have dropped massively. People’s lives are at risk.’
