This archive report was first published on 13 May 2020.
As the Premier League prepares to restart, footballers will have to follow a strict set of rules to ensure their safety during training sessions.
According to reports, all 20 Premier League clubs have received a 40-page document outlining official training protocols, which includes a condensed eight-page document from the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA).
Players will be required to adhere to social distancing measures, with disinfection of playing surfaces, including corner flags, cones, goalposts, and balls, recommended after every training session.
Additionally, players will undergo two weekly COVID-19 tests, temperature checks, and fill out a questionnaire to ensure their health and safety.
Players have been advised to travel alone to the training ground and avoid public transport, and to clean their vehicle interiors appropriately.
Inside the pitch, tackling has been banned, and players will be restricted to groups of five during the first phase of team training.
Players who test positive for COVID-19 will have to self-isolate for seven days.
Medical staff will have to wear protective equipment when treating players, and special assessments, including tests for lung and heart complications, are still under consideration.
"We've got to try it, see if we can do it and see if we can return to some form of activity. But it's also being as careful and having as many assurances as possible that it's achievable," said PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor.
