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Premier League clubs are returning to training... when will others follow suit?

  /  autty

Some Premier League teams have returned to training grounds while players of other teams are still in self-isolation. What is your club doing as the coronavirus pandemic continues?

Arsenal

Arsenal were the first to welcome back members of their first-team squad on April 27. The players have been allowed to return to their London Colney training ground, but will continue to train individually in accordance with government health guidelines.

The players must travel alone, do their individual workout and return home. Access for Mikel Arteta's players is limited, carefully managed, and social distancing is being maintained at all times.

Arsenal's players have been partaking in training sessions from home as a result of the disruption caused by coronavirus.

Aston Villa

Aston Villa shut down their training ground at the end of March and the players have been carrying out individual training programmes.

Indeed, Dean Smith's players have not been at their Bodymoor Heath training ground since March 12, three days after the last Premier League game - the 4-0 defeat at Leicester.

Villa are yet to comment on when players will be returning to the training ground, but Ahmed Elmohamady revealed exclusively to Sky Sports how the players have been working hard during the lockdown.

"The club have given us a training programme, I've been running and training every day, working hard," he said.

Bournemouth

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe revealed to Sky Sports that he and his coaching staff have been in regular contact with the players via Whatsapp and telephone calls and said his players are starting to "ramp back up" the intensity of the training programmes ahead of the possible resumption of the season in June.

But there are currently no plans for the reopening of King's Park, the training ground next to the Vitality Stadium, under strict conditions.

Brighton

Brighton are among those clubs taking tentative steps to return to training with the reopening of their Lancing training complex this week.

Activity remains very limited but members of the first-team squad will be allowed access to the training facilities for individual sessions.

Staggered arrival slots must be booked in advance, but players will be able to carry out basic training, including running, stretching and core work.

Players have instructed to arrive and leave in training kit.

Burnley

The Burnley squad last trained together on March 17, before being given a few days off with their families. It was then decided they will remain at home with individual fitness programmes.

Sean Dyche told Sky Sports this week that clubs must be "flexible" about completing their remaining fixtures, but his players are yet to return to the training ground.

Instead, they have stepped up their individual programmes at home, with player fitness levels monitored by GPS devices worn during tailored workout routines.

Chelsea

Chelsea's Cobham training complex has been closed since the middle of March, and that remains the case for the time being.

Stamford Bridge was opened earlier month for players who live locally to train on the pitch but only individual sessions were permitted.

Midfielder Marco van Ginkel, who has been out injured for much of the past two seasons, posted footage of himself running at the stadium on social media.

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace have earmarked May 9 for a return to their Beckenham base.

Matters are complicated by the age of their manager Roy Hodgson, but the club are confident the 72-year-old will not be banned from managing the team on safety grounds should football be able to restart.

Those over the age of 70, regardless of medical conditions, have been advised by the Government to be particularly strict in following social distancing measures.

Hodgson said earlier this month: "Ideally our players would have three or four weeks' minimum to prepare for the first match back, but I accept there may have to be a squeeze on that time frame.

"It will be a very joyous occasion at Beckenham when we get to train together as a group and prepare for the remaining matches."

Everton

Everton's Finch Farm training ground has been closed since March 13 with Carlo Ancelotti and his coaching staff providing the first-team squad with personalised training routines.

Players have been given individual gym programmes and guided aerobic work by Everton's medical and fitness staff while Ancelotti is in daily contact with his backroom team.

There are no concrete plans afoot to reopen the training facilities until further government guidance is provided, with the country still in lockdown.

Leicester

The Leicester team have been training remotely at home since social distancing measures were put in place.

Their return date to the club's Belvoir Drive HQ has been confirmed but Brendan Rodgers and his coaching staff are closely monitoring guidance from the Premier League.

Liverpool

Liverpool players are remaining at home with individual training programmes and no date has been set for their return to Melwood.

Subject to the Government relaxing restrictions, staff will be able to return to training in the middle of May to step up fitness work with a view to the season resuming.

Defender Joe Gomez told Sky Sports: "Every day training at home for us now is like grinding it out, there are no highs and lows in the session, no atmosphere or thrill from the fans, it's obviously a lot duller than when you're playing 90 minutes."

Manchester City

Manchester City's training complex at the Etihad remains closed with players fulfilling individual programmes - and it may be some time before the entire group is back training.

Pep Guardiola and at least eight first-team players of the Premier League champions could face 14 days of mandatory self-isolation when they return to Britain for the resumption of matches.

With the Premier League aiming to resume play in June, foreign players and managers returning to England are likely to be asked to self-isolate as part of steps to curb the spread of the virus.

Fernandinho, Gabriel Jesus, Ederson, Rodri, Bernardo Silva and David Silva are among those to have left the country during the lockdown.

Manchester United

Manchester United have no imminent plans to change the current plan for players to carry out individual training programmes away from Carrington.

They, like many clubs, are awaiting further guidance from the Premier League, which will come at Friday's meeting.

At present, United do not see a lot of value in bringing players to the training ground for individual running exercises when those drills can be carried out in isolation.

Newcastle

All the recent talk has been about a prospective takeover, but what about training? Well, the players are staying at home for now, undertaking individual training programmes.

Speaking last month, manager Steve Bruce said: "We must remember that the health and safety of players and staff is far more important than football.

"We should not return to football until it is absolutely safe to do so. We can have a Festival of Football month, games every day, playing two or three games a week."

Players who have been living outside of the UK will also be asked to undertake a 14-day period of self-isolation before they return.

Norwich

Norwich are yet to disclose any plans for the return of their players to a full training programme but the club's Colney Training Centre has reportedly been opened for players to book slots and train individually while observing social distancing rules.

As in the case with Brighton, Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham, players have been asked get changed at home.

Club sporting director Stuart Webber has said: "No player should be asked to return, or staff members, until people are very comfortable that the environment that you are asking them to return to is safe, because that is the most important thing."

Sheffield United

Sheffield United players are individually returning to training at their Shirecliffe complex this week to undertake testing and specific sessions.

Club officials, with guidance from medical staff, have drawn up revised individual programmes and will use technology available to monitor the progress of players from a safe distance.

The players and staff are adhering to strict medical guidance and giving appropriate consideration to wider Government and medical advice.

Southampton

Southampton's players are staying away from their Staplewood training ground for now, sticking to fitness schedules set by the club's coaching staff.

Ralph Hasenhuttl's squad have been carrying out individual fitness and conditioning programmes from home.

The first-team squad has been split up into four small groups of around six or seven players, with a strength and conditioning coach, a sport scientist, a physio, a psychologist and a soft tissue therapist.

Tottenham

Tottenham players returned to training at their Hotspur Way base on Tuesday with Harry Kane among those to arrive first ahead of staggered shifts involving the first-team squad.

Only one member of the squad will be allowed on each pitch at any time, and players have been instructed to travel to the base on their own, with no lifts allowed.

All activity must be conducted with social distancing measures in place and there are restrictions on the numbers allowed at the training centre each day.

Watford

The are no plans for Watford to resume training at their London Colney base despite neighbours Arsenal taking a different approach.

The majority of the squad will continue working on home fitness and conditioning programmes, while some players on the treatment table have been granted restricted access to their training ground for rehabilitation purposes this month.

West Ham

West Ham United's Rush Green training ground is open to players but with strict conditions attached. They are operating a one-in one-out policy and players have all been notified of the conditions.

Some West Ham players live in apartments and have limited access to outdoor spaces to maintain their fitness. By allowing them access to the training ground, West Ham are helping them stay in shape.

Players book when they want to come in and have to arrive in their own cars in their own training kit. There is also a time buffer between each 60-minute session to make sure players don't come across each other.

Players using the training ground have been told the main building remains out of bounds so they have to bring anything they may need with them.

That includes water and towels. And they have to wait until they get back home to have a shower.

Wolves

Wolves' Sir Jack Hayward Training Ground has remained accessible to first-team players for individual, running sessions during the pandemic.

Despite some clubs returning under strict conditions this week, there are no plans at present for any compulsory additional training work to be conducted away from homes.

Rui Patricio and Joao Mourinho returned to Portugal when the Premier League was suspended on March 13 and will require two weeks of quarantine when they return.