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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Liam Bryce

Mark Warburton in scathing Championship return blast as former Rangers boss fears 'medical chaos'

Stunned Mark Warburton was "blindsided" by the sudden revelation that the Championship could resume behind closed doors on June 20.

The QPR boss fears football authorities are pushing too hard for a return to action given the current trajectory of the coronavirus pandemic in the UK.

Former Rangers manager Warburton bristled at how his club were informed of the proposal just 20 minutes before it was announced to the general public.

He branded the timescale "ludicrous" and fears a spate of injuries if players are forced back too soon.

Warburton told Sky Sports: "To get caught blind-sided last night, 40 minutes before the public are told, is just inappropriate.

"We are all for finishing the campaign, but give us the time to prepare the players to avoid the injury risk. We have to make sure we avoid the medical chaos in the injury room.

"Now suddenly last night, without any consultation, we get told that we are starting in less than three weeks which I just find to be ludicrous."

Top-flight football has returned in Germany, with the likes of Spain and Italy also given the green light to return.

But with those nations ahead of the UK in their COVID-19 recovery, Warburton fears authorities in England are trying too hard to catch up.

He insists the current plan does not give players enough time to reach peak fitness again following a two-month lay-off.

He added: "If you look at how the pandemic is progressing across the UK, we are going too fast here in terms of the football," he said.

"They are elite players.

This is not park football. They are expected to perform at elite level in front of a TV audience, unfortunately not a stadium audience but a TV audience.

"You have to give the players the best chance of performing without the fear of injury. They recognise where we are globally in society but we have to give them the best chance of hopefully going out there and delivering the level of standard that we expect from them."

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