Blackpool will respect decision of any players not ready to return to training

Premier League clubs are back in full-contact training, with Championship clubs set to follow this week as the top flight looks to restart fixtures on June 17 and the second tier provisionally on June 20.

The EFL is allowing no group training as yet for League One clubs, with no coronavirus testing programme in place at that level, but clubs like Blackpool and Fleetwood Town are allowed to open their training grounds for ‘individual socially-distanced training sessions’.

However, Blackpool chief executive Ben Mansford understands why some players may be reluctant to return to training yet.

He told The Gazette: “Statistics have shown that fit young men and women are not the biggest at-risk group but the stats also show that no-one can give players any guarantees.

“I can’t sit down with 30 players and guarantee that none of them will get sick.

“And you also have to take into consideration the players’ individual circumstances – a player may have a pregnant partner, a child with a medical condition or a vulnerable person they care for.

“You have to be responsible and if a player doesn’t seem comfortable returning to training we would have to respect that decision.

“If players were tested regularly, and all these other protocols were in place to make training as safe as possible, then from what I’ve seen players would be up for returning.

“But although we have discussed the issue with the Blackpool players we have not had a chat about returning on any specific date.”

League One clubs are not due to meet again to consider ways of completing the season until next Monday.

And even if the clubs do vote to follow the two higher leagues and play on, it is becoming increasingly difficult to complete all outstanding games before the EFL’s stated deadline of July 31.

Blackpool stress that a reasonable period of normal training would be necessary before fixtures could restart.

Mansford added: “On the first weekend of the Bundesliga, a good number of players were going down with muscle injuries because they had done very little 11 v 11 or contract training.

“So there is also the issue of how much time players would need to get up to speed, bearing in mind they may have to play every three days.”