TheCable

The English Premier League (EPL) season is set to resume on June 17, with games between Manchester City v Arsenal and Aston Villa v Sheffield United.

According to BBC, the two matches are the ones in hand that will place all the teams in the league level on 29 games played, before a complete fixture list would then be played from June 19 to 21.

The EPL is keen to have the 2019-20 campaign come to an end by August 2, with the FA Cup final then scheduled to hold a week later on the weekend of August 8-9.

Last week, players had resumed training in small groups while respecting the social distancing rules.

But on Wednesday, the EPL clubs voted unanimously to approve a return to contact training — a development that can now allow teams train as a group and also engage in tackling while minimising any unnecessary close contact.

It is understood that a quick return to contact training will help address one of the remaining concerns of coaching staff, which is to ensure there is sufficient time for players to get match-fit – and reduce the risk of injury – before a return to competition.

The Premier League has been suspended since March 13, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.