Sheffield United place themselves on stand-by for a return to group training

Officials acting on behalf of England’s leading 20 clubs are set to meet with Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden tomorrow, when they will relay the findings of a series of consultation exercises involving the Professional Footballers’ Association, the League Managers Association and top-flight members themselves about ‘Project Restart’ - a plan aimed at lifting the fixture ban on June 12.

In order to hit that target, it is thought sessions involving all top-flight squad members must begin at some point next week; albeit with a series of social distancing and hygiene measures being implemented in order to try and curb the spread of coronavirus, which forced competition to be suspended in March.

Although the PL is scheduled to hold its latest teleconference on Monday, May 18 could also be the date when United manager Chris Wilder is able to address his entire team in person for the first time in nearly nine weeks should the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and Downing Street itself give their approval.

United partially reopened the doors of the Steelphalt Academy last month, with only a limited number of people permitted on site at any one time and all changing and canteen facilities remaining off-limits.

Although UEFA has set a May 25 deadline for associations to outline how they plan to complete their domestic campaigns, president Aleksander Ceferin has indicated that could be relaxed given some of the issues facing the PL.

After initially being told matches would not only have to take place behind closed doors but also at neutral venues, it emerged earlier this week that police chiefs could allow clubs to play at their own stadiums providing certain safety guidelines can be met.

Brighton and Hove Albion chief executive Paul Barber had led the opposition to abandoning the ‘home and away’ principle, with Watford, Norwich City an Aston Villa also among those to voice their opposition.

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