Premier League Project Restart: Players and managers to be presented with medical protocols

The top flight is working on plans to complete the 2019-20 season amid the coronavirus pandemic, dependent on Government advice

Players and managers will be presented with medical protocols related to the Premier League’s Project Restart next week.

The top flight is working on plans to complete the 2019-20 season amid the coronavirus pandemic, dependent on Government advice.

League Managers Association chief executive Richard Bevan said there was no suggestion players or managers were being “coerced” into a restart and that plans to ensure safety – including testing procedures – would be outlined next week.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Next week the medical and operational protocols are going to be presented to the managers and indeed the players.

“Hopefully there will be solutions that create this safe environment, in the meantime we’re staying very open-minded and as always the managers take their responsibility to the game very seriously on all these issues.”

Government ministers are looking into the feasibility of sports being played behind closed doors as part of the “second phase” of the response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab said the return of the Premier League would “lift the spirits of the nation” and confirmed officials are working on a plan to include a return of sport in the early stages of the recovery.

Raab said: “I think people would like to see us get back not just to work and get to a stage where children can safely return to school, but also enjoy some of those pastimes, sporting in particular.

“I know that the Government has had constructive meetings with sports bodies to plan for athletes to resume training when it’s safe to do so.

“I can tell you that the Culture Secretary (Oliver Dowden) has also been working on a plan to get sports played behind closed doors when we move to the second phase, that’s something I can tell you we’re looking at.” PA