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Premier League clubs will need 15 fit players when 2019-20 season resumes

It could still be a possibility that runaway English Premier League leaders Liverpool will end up winning the title at a neutral venue.

Premier League clubs will need 15 fit players when 2019-20 season resumes

(Photo by CHRIS J RATCLIFFE / AFP)

English Premier League club West Ham United’s vice-chairman Karren Brady revealed that keeping in mind the health concerns of the footballers it was decided by all the clubs that having only 15 fit players would be enough for the teams to play any match when the 2019-20 season resumes.

“There are obvious and genuine concerns about what happens to your match results if your club has a number of players testing positive for coronavirus, or is in self-isolation, and as a result you simply cannot field your usual or strongest starting XI,” Brady wrote in a column in Saturday’s editions of “The Sun” newspaper.

“Well, as long as you have 15 fit players (including one goalkeeper) made up from either your 25-man squad list or from your under-21s you will be deemed to have a team fit enough to fulfill the fixture.”

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The English Premier League clubs on Thursday agreed on June 17 as the resumption date for the 2019-20 season. If everything falls in place the competition will return after a suspension of more than 100 days due to the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It could still be a possibility that runaway English Premier League leaders Liverpool will end up winning the title at a neutral venue, as per a BCC report.

The national lead for football policing, deputy chief constable Mark Roberts has said up to six games could be moved at the request of local police forces.

Fixtures like Manchester City vs Liverpool, Manchester City vs Newcastle, Manchester United vs Sheffield United, Newcastle vs Liverpool and Everton vs Liverpool are those that are set to be moved to neutral venues, the report further said.

With IANS inputs

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