Project Restart latest: Premier League clubs to debate potential ending of season and confirm opening fixtures
Representatives from all 20 Premier League clubs will today hold another Project Restart video conference call to discuss contingency measures should the season have to be curtailed.
England’s top flight is due to resume on June 17, 100 days after it was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.
However, today’s meeting will see clubs debate a means of formulating a final table in the event that the 2019-20 season has to end, with relegation not expected to be scrapped.
In addition, the first full rounds of fixtures could also be announced, starting with the weekend of June 20-21.
The initial matches of the reboot – scheduled for June 17 - will see Manchester City take on Arsenal, and Aston Villa face Sheffield United. Completion of these matches will ensure, at the very least, that all clubs have played the same numbers of matches.
Today’s meeting comes after only one individual - later confirmed to be from Tottenham - out of 1,197 tested positive in the latest round of Premier League coronavirus tests .
Nine individuals from the Championship tested positive in the latest round of tests. A total of 1,094 players and staff were tested in a four-day period ending on Tuesday, with the positive tests coming from six different clubs.
Sheffield Wednesday confirmed a staff member had tested positive, as did Preston. In League Two, where only the four clubs in the play-off places are participating, there were zero positive cases from a sample size of 126.
Meanwhile, police will look at the final proposed Premier League fixture list before recommending whether any games in London should be moved to neutral venues.
None of the five matches which the UK's football policing lead said local forces had requested be switched to neutral venues last week were in the capital, despite the city's mayor Sadiq Khan expressing misgivings about staging games there during the coronavirus pandemic.
Tottenham's match against north London rivals Arsenal is one of the games still to be played, as is Spurs versus West Ham. The Hammers also have a home game with Chelsea at the London Stadium.
A statement from the Metropolitan Police read: "The MPS have been in regular contact with the NPCC football lead DCC Mark Roberts who is co-ordinating the policing response to the restart of any football matches across the UK.
"Whilst agreement has been reached as to when the season may recommence, the plans for this to happen are still being finalised.
"We remain in contact with all the relevant bodies and will make plans as necessary when we receive a final proposed schedule for games."
Additional reporting by the Press Association
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