Premier League teams have reportedly given their approval to begin contact training as England move a step forward in resuming its top-tier football league. All football in the country has been suspended since March due to coronavirus pandemic.

As per a report in Sky Sports, Premier League clubs have voted unanimously to approve a return to contact training when safe to do so. The report also stated that clubs will meet again on Thursday to chalk out contingency plans in case season had to be called off. (via IANS)

The players returned to individual and small group training last week as officials continue to target mid-June as a possible return date for resumption of matches.

England’ Football Association’s (FA) much-talked about ‘Project Restart’ suffered a setback recently when two footballers tested positive among the 996 players and club staff who were tested for COVID-19 on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

AFC Bournemouth goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale had earlier confirmed he was one of the two unnamed players who had contracted the virus.

22-year-old Ramsdale became only the second Premier League player to confirm testing positive for the virus after Watford’s Adrian Mariappa.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought the entire world to a standstill and the sporting arena is no exception. Most of the high profile tournaments including the Tokyo Olympics 2020 stand postponed.

Even the biggest cricketing spectacle on the planet, the Indian Premier League (IPL), stands suspended indefinitely owing to the coronavirus pandemic. Recently, Bundesliga became the first high-profile sporting event to resume after a 65 day period with almost no sporting activity.

The move comes after governments are beginning to realise that the coronavirus is here to stay for quite some time and sports among other businesses will need to find a way to co-exist with it.

The virus has already infected close to 5.5 million people around the world while claiming over 3.5 lakh lives. There is still no sure shot treatment of the disease and social-distancing, self-isolation and maintenance of basic hand hygiene remain the only potent weapons of protecting oneself from contracting the infection.

(With inputs from IANS)