The Premier League are set to obtain up to 1,600 COVID-19 tests a week for its 20 clubs, as their Project Restart plan for the 2019-20 season continues intensifying.
It’s been two months since England’s top-flight matches were suspended indefinitely as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, with many clubs still having to play nine or ten further matches of this current campaign from March to mid-May.
The UK is Europe’s worst-affected country in terms of coronavirus deaths: 34,636 as of 18:28pm (GMT) today, with 243,303 total cases – third-worst in Europe, behind Russia and Spain.
Sky Sports News’ chief reporter Bryan Swanson tweeted a development an hour ago, one which has divided opinion given the country’s inability to secure tests for all their key workers.
https://twitter.com/skysports_bryan/status/1262067213328056320
A lot of people have tweeted unhappy responses to this update, suggesting that it’s both unethical and doesn’t make sense for them to prioritise their players ahead of key personnel on the frontline.
That’s especially important to understand given some players’ unwillingness to play during the current crisis.
READ: PL clubs reach agreement on player contracts expiring on June 30
Chelsea winger Willian, Watford captain Troy Deeney and Norwich defender Grant Hanley are among those who have revealed their fears – many players are opposing plans to resume the 2019-20 season.
This past Thursday, the UK government said it was opening the door to the possibility of professional football returning at some stage next month.
What’s the state of play in the Premier League table right now?
Liverpool were six points away from earning their first top-flight title since 1990, having enjoyed a record-breaking season under Jurgen Klopp.
Manchester City (game in hand), Leicester and Chelsea occupy the remaining Champions League qualification spots, though it’s not so simple at the bottom of the table.
Norwich, Aston Villa and AFC Bournemouth sat in the three relegation places, although the 19th-placed Villains had played a game fewer than their rivals after their Carabao Cup exploits this season.
If they won in that rearranged fixture, they would see them leapfrog three teams, Bournemouth (18th), Watford and West Ham into 16th – so coming to a conclusion about how to finish this season has proven a difficult hurdle to try organising, considering everyone has different motives and situations are not the same everywhere.
Mo and Sports 