There are fears that as many as 50 players could dent Premier League’s Project Restart plan by refusing to return to action due to concerns over their safety.
The Mirror report that one club executive feels there could ‘two or three’ players from every club that decides against returning to complete the 2019-20 season.
Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero is among the players to have gone public with his concerns but others, such as West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini – who believes action should not resume until a vaccine is available – have also spoken out but neither have said they would snub any return.
Reports of a potential revolt from players arrives days prior to players being given a presentation at the start of next week on the strict quarantine proposals that will be put in place to protect them.
The player briefing is also set to address the return to training and both the Premier League and club medics are convinced the new protocol will make it safe for players to return.
Project Restart is the name of the proposal from the Premier League to bring an end to English football’s hiatus for the coronavirus as they plot a resumption in the middle of next month.
Sportsmail exclusively revealed on Thursday that a host of top-flight stars have already discussed not signing individual forms issued by the league amid fears over where it would leave them should they test positive for COVID-19.
Sources at the Premier League insist the forms are not liability waivers, but merely a method of confirming that they agree to their club’s coronavirus protocols.
Players, including Aguero, have made clear their stance on returning to action.
Aguero said: ‘The majority of players are scared because they have children and families.
‘I’m scared but I’m with my girlfriend here and I’m not going to be in contact with other people. I’m locked in my house and the only person I could infect is my girlfriend.
‘They’re saying that there are people that have it and don’t have any symptoms but still infect you. That’s why I am here at home. Maybe I have the illness and I don’t even know.
‘When one person is ill we will think, ‘Oh what’s happening here?’ I hope a vaccine will be found soon so that this all ends.’
Brighton chief Paul Barber has already revealed that there are reservations among a handful of players in the Seagulls’ first-team squad.
He said: ‘The players have a really reasonable and fair number of questions to ask about their own personal safety and that of their families. We as their employers have got to be able to answer those questions.
‘We have a player whose partner has a serious medical condition – we need to understand if he doesn’t want to play or refuses to play where we stand on that. We also need to understand what the players’ feelings are on whatever protocol we agree.’
Clubs will discuss Project Restart at Monday’s shareholders’ meeting and iron out issues over controversial topics such as the use of neutral venues and how the fixture list will be spaced out to appeal to broadcasters.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
