The Premier League has outlined the official protocols for players on their return to training in the first step of the Project Restart plan that intends to see the 2019/20 season completed.
Clubs unanimously agreed on Monday to approve the protocols and will return to small group training in the coming days, which marks a significant step for Project Restart in the push for the 2019/20 season to be completed.
A wide-range of protocols include tackling being banned, football pitches being disinfected and players restricted to groups of five in the first steps towards completing the 2019/20 Premier League campaign.
Guidance seen by the BBC last week was sent to players and managers and states that social distancing must be ‘strictly observed’, while corner flags, balls, cones, goalposts and even playing surfaces will be disinfected after every session.
Ongoing surveillance measures include twice-weekly testing, along with a daily pre-training questionnaire and temperature check. Under a section titled ‘health screening’, players are also told a central register of Covid-19 test results (subject to their consent and Professional Footballers’ Association agreement) will need to be maintained.
‘Control measures’ include ‘meticulous personal hygiene and use of personal protective equipment, no congregation in communal areas, including but not limited to medical rooms and gym areas’.
Players have also been told they cannot share transport with anyone to or from the training ground and vehicle interiors should be cleaned regularly, while team vehicles and public transport should not be used.
Players are being consulted on proposed medical protocols for a return to training by the PFA. They have been given a condensed version of a 40-page document for them to digest.
Full consultation will now continue with players, managers, clubs, the PFA and LMA as protocols for full-contact training are developed.
