A number of clubs have stepped up the monitoring of players during football’s break by sending them tracking devices to wear.
Squads will be away from training grounds for even longer than expected following Thursday’s announcement that matches will not start again until April 30 at the earliest.
Many clubs responded to the first suspension, then until April 3 or 4, by allowing their players to train at home.
They sent their stars exercise bikes and tailored training programmes to work through in a bid to keep them ticking over fitness-wise.
Some players snapped up extra gym equipment from high street stores and began following YouTube workouts in an effort to maintain fitness.
There were already widespread doubts about whether those methods would be enough to keep players fit enough ahead of the initial planned return date. Now the addition of tracking devices, including watches made by brands such as Garmin, will help clubs ensure players are getting through the fitness work set out for them.
With the technology, which can monitor the wearer’s every move and sleeping patterns, players will be able to upload details of their exercise sessions for review by fitness and coaching staff at their clubs, who will remain in regular contact with them.
Tottenham joined several clubs yesterday in ordering players to stay at home and train. They are yet to decide when they will resume training.
Southampton and Watford are among other topflight sides who have postponed training and are planning to kick off sessions again in mid-April.
Some clubs hope to use players’ absence from their training bases to carry out further deep cleans, ensuring all precautionary measures have been taken.
The EFL have told clubs not to resume training until April 3 and are confident of being able to play games again on Saturday May 2.
Their preference is to do so with fans in stadiums though games being played behind closed doors is a more likely option.
The EFL have also discussed leaving the transfer window open, once it begins this summer, through to the end of January.
The extension to this season will only leave time for a shortened summer window if two transfer periods remain in place, so talks have been held about having one longer window.
