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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Matt Davies

First pictures of Arsenal players in training since coronavirus lockdown as Gunners prepare for season restart

Arsenal players returned to training this week as the Premier League continues to build towards its resumption - with first pictures of the Gunners at London Colney emerging.

Head coach Mikel Arteta, who tested positive for Covid-19 in March, was pictured back on the training pitch with the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, David Luiz and Hector Bellerin.

Top-flight clubs unanimously voted in favour of resuming training in small groups this week in a vote held at a shareholders meeting on Monday as part of phase one of 'Project Restart'.

Where training grounds were recently opened for players to train alone, squads are now able to take part in socially distanced, non-contact sessions - although for no more than 75 minutes for any one individual.

(Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

"We have to be very strict with the protocols," Arteta said this week. "Common sense will dictate when we can go to the next step, and the next step, and so on.

"We cannot rush it. We are all aiming to play, we need to play, we are willing to play - it is important for society and the economy.

"We have that responsibility. We just have to be ready for whenever they say 'go ahead, open that door' so we can hit the gas."

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