Coronavirus and sport

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder on Dean Henderson: “From a contractual
point of view we are all looking to extend the players that we have got here on
loan. There is a couple that will expire that we are looking to extend. It is
coming to that time when Manchester United will make that decision regarding
extending or not extending.

“I am confident Manchester United will let Dean stay
with us until the end of the season. I don’t think it is worth asking Dean what
he wants to do as I think you will know the answer. But I have to respect that
Dean is Manchester United’s player. If he goes back he can’t play and I’m sure
he wants to finish off an outstanding season.

“We’ve asked the question to the
players individually and they have shown enormous enthusiasm to come back. I
respect their decisions.”

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder on ‘Project Restart’: “There has been talk
about communication lines and it is a huge responsibility from myself and the
coaches to stay in communication with the players, the skipper and for him to
pass those messages on.

“Players are human beings and they have their own point
of view. They have that opportunity to talk to me. Everybody is on the same
page at the club. I understand and respect every players point of view. They
are contracted footballers, but also human beings and if they make that
decision then I will respect it, 100%.

“Nobody is being forced. If Troy Deeney
or anybody else has a different view to the majority it is only right that we
respect that.”

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder on ‘Project Restart’: “We’re getting
tested twice a week and went through it all on Friday. There is Premier League
protocol and confidentiality in terms of talking about how the tests have gone.

“There have been a couple of cases detected over the weekend and a couple of
staff and one player – they are encouraging numbers but I am not surprised by
them because I know how healthy the players are and what lengths they have gone
to, to make sure they do their bit and are responsible. Out next test is on
Friday.

“That is up and beyond any other profession in the country. That shows
what lengths the Premier League are prepared to go to get football up and
running.”

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder on ‘Project Restart’: “The challenge for
us is that we don’t have the facilities of some other Premier League clubs but
we have to adapt. This has been a huge challenge to all at the football club,
not just me.

“It is not just abut what happens on the pitch on a Saturday
afternoon, it is about the 600-700 people it employs, the effect it has on our
great city and supporters. Even the most ardent Sheffield Wednesday fans who
have been delivering things to m y door in lockdown have been asking when we
are back to training and playing.

“We’re taking out lead from the experts but
everyone in the game feels this is the right time and my players have shown a
huge enthusiasm to get back playing.”

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder on ‘Project Restart’: “There is tremendous
enthusiasm for the game in this country. You ask anyone – the man in the street
– who follows it, those who coach and play it in, those involved in an
administrative point of view, the media and mostly the supporters, we’ve missed
it.

“It is going to be a bit different. Watching the Bundesliga at the weekend,
it was a bit eerie and the pace and tempo of the games wasn’t as it might be in
front of 40-50,000 people. But it will get quicker as it would at any start to
a season, because that is what this is, the start of a mini-season. We’re
confident that our players will pick it up quickly.”

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder on ‘Project Restart’: “An incredible
amount of work has gone on with the medical staff to provide a safe
environment. An enormous amount of credit must go to those guys for getting out
football club up and running and taking those small steps that everyone is
taking.

“We all want to go to work. My players to a man all want to go back to
work. They possibly didn’t enjoy the running aspect of training yesterday,
doing a 2,000km run, but they’ve worked hard to get to this position. And as
professionals they have worked doubly hard to get to the Premier League and the
position they are in.”

Former world champion Ricky Hatton has chosen to treat the coronavirus lock down like a training camp for a fight and has consequently lost weight and kept his mind in order.

Hatton, who has suffered with mental health issues in the past, spoke to BBC Sport about the ups and downs he still endures.

“I still have bad days but nowhere near what I used to,” he says.

“It’s all about opening up – no secrets. If you’ve got something on your chest, pick the phone up and tell somebody.

“Don’t let it build and build and build.”

You can read more here.

Premier League leaders Liverpool are back in non-contact training at Melwood today.

Here are Andrew Robertson and captain Jordan Henderson arriving…

And James Milner and Fabinho leaving…

Tottenham are investigating after right-back Serge Aurier appeared to breach coronavirus social-distancing rules for the third time.

The 27-year-old posted a photo on social media of himself and a barber after getting a haircut.

Hairdressers will open from 4 July at the earliest in England, and people cannot have visitors at their homes.

Tottenham said they were “investigating the circumstances and will deal with the incident appropriately”.

Read more here.

Up to 18 bowlers will take part in staggered sessions across seven grounds from Thursday as the first England players to begin individual training.

Chester-le-Street, Edgbaston, Hove, Old Trafford, Taunton, The Oval and Trent Bridge will each host at least one session this week.

Batsmen and wicketkeepers will return to individual training from 1 June.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) will confirm which players have been invited to train next week.

With no cricket to be played in England and Wales until 1 July at the earliest, this is the first step to returning to action after the coronavirus shutdown.

More on this story here.

One player and two staff members at Watford are among six positive Premier League tests for coronavirus.

Before the news about Watford’s positive tests emerged, captain Troy Deeney said he would not return to training because he feared for his family’s health.

A number of other team-mates have joined Deeney’s stance in not training and they will follow individual programmes at home. They want reassurances to questions they have around the return to training protocols and the specifics around the spread of the virus.

Tom Cleverley and Christian Kabasele have returned to non-contact training at Watford’s London Colney training ground today.

Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is back at Melwood.

Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek is at the club’s Cobham training facility.

And Spurs midfielder Erik Lamela is at Tottenham’s training ground.

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder says Premier League coronavirus testing results are “encouraging” as players returnto non-contact training.

One player and two staff at Watford and Burnley assistant manager Ian Woan are among six positive tests.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Wilder said: “A lot of people have been tested and the signs are encouraging.

“Testing has been very thorough. A lot of hard work has gone into making sure this runs as smoothly as possible.

“It is baby steps in the process of returning to full training.”

The Premier League has been suspended since 13 March because of the Covid-19 pandemic, with 92 fixtures remaining.

The league had previously identified 12 June for matches to possibly start again, but there is now an expectation this will need to be pushed back.

“When we paused the season, these players have an obligation to their profession to keep themselves right so straight away, the programmes they were given, they weren’t off to Dubai or Vegas eating and drinking whatever they want,” Wilder continued.

“They’ve got a professionalism about them and my players are in absolutely brilliant condition. We’ve tested them right the way through.

“They’ve got individual programmes. They didn’t know when this was going to kick-start and they had to be ready.”

Clare Connor, the managing director of women’s cricket at
the ECB, says the governing body hopes to award 40 full-time contracts to women’s domestic cricketers “by the end of the year”.

The ECB announced that up to 24 women’s domestic
cricketers will receive a regional retainer to support them financially during
the coronavirus pandemic.

“We were due to be
having 40 going onto full-time domestic contracts with their regions from 1 June,” Connor told the Today Programme.

“Sadly that isn’t possible at the moment, hence why we’ve
introduced these regional retainers for about 24 players, to show them
that we’re still making progress and we still care.

“And to give them a
little bit of financial support whilst so much of the game is in
paralysis. We really want to keep moving ahead.”

The 2020 Prudential RideLondon cycling festival has been cancelled because of coronavirus.

The eighth edition of the event was due to take place on 15-16 August.

It was due to feature four mass participation events as well as two professional races – the men’s RideLondon-Surrey Classic and the women’s RideLondon Classique.

All participants and charities who had bought places in the event will be refunded their entry fee in full.

Premier League clubs are returning to non-contact training, with social distancing rules in place, this week.

The top flight hopes to resume in June, with 92 fixtures left to play.

Here is Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp arriving at Melwood today…

One player and two staff at Watford and Burnley assistant manager Ian Woan are among six positive Premier League tests for coronavirus.

The other two are at a third club, the details of which have not been revealed.

Players and staff who have tested positive will now self-isolate for seven days.

It comes as squads started non-contact training on Tuesday, as the Premier League steps up plans for a restart.

A total of 748 players and staff from 19 clubs were tested. Norwich City did their tests on Tuesday.

Watford confirmed a player and two members of staff had tested positive but they would not be naming those involved as they had asked for medical confidentiality.

More on this story here.