Sheffield United have become the last Premier League to stop first team training, with a decision being made on Monday.
Players did come into their Shirecliffe training ground yesterday, but were soon sent home with individual training programmes.
The Daily Mail reports that the decision was made after discussions with the Professional Footballers’ Association. The PFA are believed to have put pressure on the club to stop training as a group.
Manager Chris Wilder had been keen to keep his squad training as normal. This was a decision that is said to have made some of the players and backroom staff uncomfortable.
Government guidelines on social distancing became increasingly stringent as last week progressed. The Blades had been criticised for seemingly ignoring the advice.
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As the Yorkshire Post reports, discussions had even taken place with Rotherham United about playing a behind closed doors friendly.
Based on advice from the EFL the idea was abandoned. Yet the Blades did still play a friendly match among first team players at Shirecliffe last Thursday.
When will Sheffield United return to training?
(Photo by Ben Early – AMA/Getty Images)
According to the Telegraph, United won’t resume first team training until April 6 at the earliest. However, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson advising people to stay at home for the next three weeks, except for a handful of necessary journeys, that seems unlikely.
Professional football in England is suspended until April 30 in an effort to try and stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
When it will actually return is unclear, but leagues are keen to try and conclude their fixtures before June 30. After that there are more legal complications.
Uefa have already taken the decision to postpone the European Championship until 2021. This gives domestic leagues more flexibility to try and rearrange fixtures.
Wilder had previously opposed the idea of finishing the season behind closed doors, but has since softened his stance. Now the 52-year-old says the most important thing is that it is concluded.
