Premier League 'Project Restart' hinges on crunch talks with players this week

Crunch talks: Aguero is among those to have expressed concerns about a swift return to action
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Premier League clubs and their squads will hold crunch meetings this week, with players holding the key to the top-flight’s plans for a return to action next month.

The 20 clubs will meet again on Friday or Monday — depending on the Government’s planned review of the lockdown measures — for a pivotal vote on whether to complete the season at eight to 10 neutral venues.

Before then, clubs will gauge the views of their players over a return to action, while the Premier League are set to lobby the players’ union, the PFA.

Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero and Brighton’s Glenn Murray were among those to express concerns about aspects of ‘Project Restart’ before last Friday’s meeting of clubs, and the PFA are planning to advise all members against playing if they feel unsafe.

On Friday, the League, FA and clubs agreed that bringing players on board is crucial to hopes of resuming training by May 18 and fixtures on June 12.

The 20 club captains, who organised the #PlayersTogether initiative to donate money to the NHS last month via WhatsApp, will be particularly influential in talks.

Tottenham captain Hugo Lloris became the highest profile player to speak out in favour of completing the season in much-changed conditions.

“We are in a situation where everyone wants to finish,” the France skipper told L’Equipe. “It would be terrible if everything ended like that, nine games before the end of the Premier League. It would also be cruel for Liverpool, with the lead they have. There would be a taste of unfinished business.

“Nobody wants it to end like this. Everyone has to find the right compromise between health above all else and the need to finish this season.”

In a significant stumbling block, the bottom six clubs — Brighton, Bournemouth, West Ham, Norwich, Watford and Aston Villa — are currently opposed to squandering home advantage by using neutral venues unless the threat of relegation is taken off the table.

The Premier League have advised clubs it is the only way to complete the campaign, with no chance they will be given Government approval to use all 20 stadiums. Any rule change will need approval from 14 clubs.

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