Albion study Restart detail - and put safety first

Clubs vote on Monday as to whether they approve the health and safety protocols which underpin Project Restart.

A positive outcome would pave the way for training in small groups and under strict controls to resume on Tuesday.

Albion want to reassure players they face no health risks in training and, ultimately, completing the 38-match season.

Crucially, they also need to convince the club’s directors a return to work would not entail excessive risk to players’ safety.

Players, coaches, medical staff and directors are seeking as much detail as possible over the various stages of preparing for a potential mid-June resumption of fixtures.

Asked what information he required, head coach Graham Potter said: “How long we’ll have in terms of the preparatory stage I guess could help so then we’d know what we’re working with in terms of getting our players ready from a long period of no football activity - you’re looking at three months - towards playing in the Premier League.

“Then the what-if scenarios, I guess. What happens if players get positive results in terms of the tests of the virus? How does that affect the competition?

“There’s lots of little bits of detail.

“We’re positive at the moment in terms of, we want to try.

“Everyone wants to get back playing. The general consensus in our group is we want to play football, finish the season, but again to get that detail would be nice.”

Senior player Glenn Murray has asked whether the season is resuming too soon.

Deputy chairman Paul Barber said: “The directors have got to sign off on the protocol and with that sign-off comes liability and, where there’s liability, there’s lawyers.

“We have a process internally, making sure that every part of our club is comfortable with what we’re doing.

“Really the most important constituents in that, of course, are the players because they need to feel safe, they need to feel that it’s the right thing for them to do collectively and individually.”