This archive report was first published on 23 May 2020.
Christian Kabasele, a defender for Watford, has cast doubt on the Premier League's plan to resume on June 12, citing concerns about player safety and fitness.
According to Kabasele, restarting the league in less than three weeks would be 'impossible' due to the risk of injury to players who have not had sufficient time to get back to peak fitness.
"We speak about June 12," Kabasele told the Counter Attack podcast. "I think it is impossible because it would be less than three weeks' training after a long period without doing anything. It's a risk for us."
Watford has already seen some of its players and staff test positive for the coronavirus, including defender Adrian Mariappa and two members of the club's staff. Captain Troy Deeney has also refused to train due to concerns about his family's health.
Despite these challenges, Kabasele believes that the club is taking the necessary precautions to ensure player safety. "If it was starting tomorrow training 11 v 11 with contact, with everybody at the training ground, I would not go that's for sure," he said. "But with phase one, personally I think everything is put in place and they have tried to make the training ground as safe as possible."
The English Football League is set to announce the first results from virus tests among Championship players on Sunday, which could provide further insight into the challenges facing the Premier League's restart.
