The Premier League’s Project Restart has received a huge boost after the government released its “phase two” guidance for athletes and elite sportsmen and women.
This next stage will enable footballers to return to close-contact and competitive training, provided it has the "appropriate carefully controlled medical conditions in place".
Both public health officials and sports medical officers have contributed to the guidelines, with “stage three” of the government's protocols expected to centre around a return to action in June.
The new guidelines state that: "Stage Two training can be described as the resumption of close contact (interaction within the two-metre social distancing boundary) training where pairs, small groups and/or teams