PREMIER LEAGUE stars are worried their careers could be ended — if they contract Covid-19.
That is why top-flight captains are demanding more assurances that matches will be safe to play before they return.
Grant Hanley worries that injuries will go ‘through the roof’ upon the PL’s returnCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Players will have to follow a new set of medical and social-distancing protocols when they get back to training next week.
But Norwich skipper Grant Hanley said: “I think 100 per cent of players want to get back to football but it needs to be at the right time, when everybody feels safe.
“If a player DID contract the virus and was ill with it, would that affect his long-term career? Is it going to have an impact on their livelihood?
“Going back to training is not the issue, it’s what will happen beyond that.
“Where do we go from there in terms of contact training and games?
I think injuries are going to go through the roof, especially at a time when we are going to be restricted on how much we can use the physios and recovery methods, in terms of ice baths.
Grant Hanley
“The period we’ve had off is going to be longer than any summer break and then we’re trying to squeeze in a couple of weeks of full training.
“I think injuries are going to go through the roof, especially at a time when we are going to be restricted on how much we can use the physios and recovery methods, in terms of ice baths.
“Everyone’s situation is different. Some players may be going into the last year of their contracts and thinking it’s a massive risk, at their age, in terms of injuries.
“Some lads need 45 minutes to an hour-and-a-half every day just to train.
“One of the new protocols is we can only arrive 15 minutes before training. Some lads are not going to be able to get by on that.”
Players have been warned against spitting and getting too close to team-mates in training, which will initially be non-contact until the second phase.
Hanley said: “I agree with the protocols, but that’s only going to last a week or so before we go to the next stage.
“And getting answers to the questions about what happens after that is where the issues lie.
“What happens once we go back into contact training? How do things change? In terms of going back into games as well?
The Scot will be disappointed if his side don’t get a ‘fair crack at the whip’Credit: Getty Images – Getty
“There are just so many questions and uncertainty that it makes it difficult for players with concerns to make decisions. From my point of view, it would be easier to say ‘this is the date we are starting games’, and work back from there.
“So we know which boxes we need to tick and which hoops we need to jump through in order to get there.”
Hanley’s own situation is made even riskier by the fact his missus is pregnant.
He said: “I am not the only one with this worry or fear. But going back to training isn’t the issue, it’s beyond that.
“There is just so much uncertainty surrounding the whole plan and schedule going forward that there are questions no one can answer at the minute.
“It’s the uncertainty that drives that fear and worry. If you can’t be certain of a situation, and you don’t know what you’re walking into, that’s where the worry lies.
“It’s so difficult to see five or six days in front us — or anything past that. No information has been given to us.
“For example, how do we travel to games? Where do we stay? Do we stay at hotels? How do we guarantee the hotels are going to be safe for us to stay in?
We as a team have worked hard to get a fair crack of the whip in the Premier League and it would be such a shame, and heartbreaking, if we didn’t get that.
Grant Hanley
“Ultimately, it’s putting your family at risk and that is the main concern. That’s the worry all the teams will have.”
The Canaries are bottom of the Prem and, with goal difference, SEVEN points off safety. There has been much debate about whether relegation should be scrapped if the Premier League and Championship seasons are not played to a conclusion.
Hanley, 26, speaking on Sky’s Football Show, said: “Everybody’s got their own interests to consider.
“What I will say on it is, we as a team have worked hard to get a fair crack of the whip in the Premier League and it would be such a shame, and heartbreaking, if we didn’t get that.
The Canaries were battling away the the foot of the Premier LeagueCredit: PA:Press Association
“I am thankful it’s not me who has to make these decisions because it’s going to be tough to keep everyone happy.
“From the players’ point of view, we need to look at where we are in terms of getting back to training and playing.
“But in terms of who goes down or who comes up — who knows?”
Delia Smith asks for a twelfth man during rousing half time speech to lift Norwich fans against Man City in 2005
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
