Phil Hay details what is ‘in the pipeline’ for Leeds, shares what he’s been told by EFL doctors
If Leeds United cannot return to training on May 16, they should be able to by May 23 at the latest, according to The Athletic journalist Phil Hay.
The Guardian has reported that clubs in the EFL are hopeful of resuming training on May 16 with the 2019/20 season resuming on June 6.
However due to it being hard to accurately predict when the coronavirus pandemic will die down to a level where it is safe to congregate in groups again, there is a fear that the May 16 date is premature.
Former Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Hay has spoken to doctors and other medical staff at clubs within the EFL and they’ve told him that if training cannot resume on May 16 then it is likely to take place a week later.
“[Players’] holiday is due to end two or three days before the scheduled start date for training,” he said on the Phil Hay Show podcast.
“I think the only question at the moment is whether or not May 16 is actually going to hold. From speaking to medical people in the game, doctors and medical staff at Championship clubs feel that if it doesn’t start on May 16 then it will probably start a week later at the latest.
“But, as ever, it’s hard to call whether or not that will be influenced by things that go on in the country as a whole, whether that will be influenced by government advice or changes to the lockdown restrictions or changes to the way things are allowed to operate.
“It’s hard to feel at the moment like we’re ticking rapidly towards a resumption of games – although that is in the pipeline.”
Hay is right to say that all of these dates are subject to change because we simply cannot say for certain when it will be safe for training to get back underway.
However once training is back on, we cannot be too far away from matches being played again – albeit behind closed doors.
The Guardian report said that matches are hopefully going to take place a few weeks after training resumes and that seems like a plausible plan.
But, again, we shouldn’t get our hopes up too much.
In other Leeds United news, Angus Kinnear has responded to “premature” press reports.