Premier League season ‘faces being CANCELLED and left unfinished’ if clubs cannot restart by June 19… with seven-week schedule leaving little room for error before UEFA’s deadline
- The remaining Premier League games could be played over a seven-week period
- There is a worry that the league will run close to UEFA’s August 2 deadline
- Clubs are concerned over player welfare if forced matches in quick succession
The Premier League may hold a seven-week ‘festival of football’ if the season resumes, however it must start by June 19 if it is to be completed, according to The Sun.
UEFA has determined that August 2 must be the final date by which European leagues must finish their seasons by.
There have been plans for a six-week schedule, however clubs have concerns about such a tightly-packed series of games, so an extra week may be added under the terms of a new plan.
A new plan could see the remaining Premier League games played out over seven weeks
There are 92 Premier League games left to be played if the season is to reach a full conclusion
Under current Project Restart plans, games are hoped to be starting up against around June 12.
The Premier League’s director of football Richard Garlick has laid out the new seven-week plan which is still yet to be agreed by clubs.
It would have matches played over a seven-weekend window, with just two midweek dates required.
The government is expected to make an announcement about whether it will extend lockdown measures within the next week.
If the strict self-isolation measures are to remain in place, then clubs may be less able to get players ready in time to finish the season.
There have been concerns over players getting injured if forced to play lots of games quickly
Some teams are back in training, although group sessions are smaller than normal and players are still sticking to social distancing guidelines.
There are 92 games remaining in the season, and there have been many discussions about how, and if, the season can be completed.
The main concern is over player safety, both when it comes to transferring the deadly disease, and maintaining a level of fitness and not getting injured if forced to play a lot of matches in a short time frame.
A seventh week added to the schedule would alleviate some of the problems about fitness, however it may mean the league runs close to UEFA’s deadline.