MX23RW : Tuesday, March 19 08:02:24| >> :120:20898:20898:

Premier League clubs allowed to organise friendlies before season restart

The league sent guidelines to the 20 teams on Tuesday outlining restrictions.

Premier League clubs have been given the go-ahead to organise friendlies ahead of the competition's resumption, the PA news agency understands.

Top-flight action has been suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, but 'Project Restart' is well under way and play is set to resume on June 17.

Players stepped up from socially-distanced, small group training to contact sessions last week, with some clubs going on to take part in in-house 11-a-side matches.

The PA news agency now understands that Premier League clubs are allowed to organise friendlies at training grounds of stadiums to fine-tune ahead of the resumption of action.

The league sent guidelines to the 20 teams on Tuesday outlining restrictions, including the need for a full risk assessment to take place before matches that members of staff would have to officiate instead of referees.

Clubs are not allowed to travel more than 90 minutes for these friendly games, which players must go to in their own cars as social distancing and hygiene measures are implemented.

The development will come as a surprise to some expecting intra-squad matches to be the only way to prepare in an 11-a-side match.

Liverpool, Southampton and Sheffield United are among the sides to have done internal matches, with the latter increasing the workload as fitness improves.

Blades midfielder Ben Osborn said: "I think they might be trying to (get friendlies), if it gets passed by the Premier League or Government.

"But at the moment we're just gearing up the minutes.

"It was 50 minutes the other day, 70 minutes today and next week we'll have a couple more games to try and get that intensity back, trying to get the fitness back."

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3Manchester CityMan City28196363283563
4Aston Villa29175760421856
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs28165759421753
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd28152113939047
7West Ham UnitedWest Ham2912894650-444
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2811985044642
9Wolverhampton WanderersWolves28125114244-241
10Newcastle UnitedNewcastle281241259481140
11Chelsea27116104745239
12Fulham29115134344-138
13Bournemouth2898114152-1135
14Crystal Palace2878133348-1529
15Brentford2975174154-1326
16Everton2887132939-1025
17Luton TownLuton2957174260-1822
18Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2967163551-1621
19Burnley2945202963-3417
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd2835202474-5014

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