This archive report was first published on 19 May 2020.
England's Premier League has confirmed six positive cases of coronavirus among players and staff at three clubs, following mass testing ahead of a return to training.
According to the league, 748 players and club staff were tested for COVID-19 on Sunday 17 May and Monday 18 May, with six testing positive from three clubs.
While no details were released on which individuals or clubs are affected, the league stated that players or club staff who have tested positive will now self-isolate for a period of seven days.
As Premier League clubs began returning to training in small groups on Tuesday, the number of positive cases represents just 0.8 percent of those tested.
Similar widespread testing conducted by other major leagues, such as Germany's top two divisions and Spain's top two divisions, have also reported positive cases.
Despite the low number of positive cases, Premier League clubs face resistance from players concerned over their welfare, with Watford captain Troy Deeney refusing to return to training this week due to fears he could pass the virus on to his five-month-old son.
Deeney expressed his concerns on the Talk The Talk podcast, saying, 'I can't get a haircut until mid-July, but I can go and get in a box with 19 people and jump for a header.'
Meanwhile, Newcastle left-back Danny Rose claimed players were being treated like 'guinea pigs or lab rats', while his manager Steve Bruce praised the 'meticulous' planning on behalf of the Premier League to make the environment as safe as possible.
However, Bruce has also questioned the limited preparation time players could have between returning to contact training and competitive matches, warning his squad could 'fall down like a pack of cards' with injuries.
