Next Monday, the fate of the Premier League season will finally be decided when all 20 clubs vote on plans to press ahead with Project Restart.

Officials want games to begin again behind closed doors by June 12, with the campaign played to a conclusion by the end of July.

They need 14 votes in order to put their plans into action and resume the season, providing the government ease lockdown and sign off football’s return as expected.

There are, however, a number of hurdles facing the Premier League as they attempt to convince the clubs – plus their players and staff – that it is safe to play again.

From doctors raising concerns over the spread of coronavirus, to stars worrying about their friends and family and a split over playing at neutral grounds, Monday’s meeting looks like it will be anything but straightforward.

Here, Sportsmail explains the major obstacles which must be conquered to avoid the current season being cancelled.

CLUB DOCTORS AND THE ‘RISK OF DEATH’

According to The Athletic, a number of club doctors have written to the Premier League laying out urgent concerns over players’ health and wellbeing.

It is claimed that a lack of knowledge on the coronavirus has left medics fearing the worst, with many insisting that the disease still poses a real ‘risk of death’ despite the precautions laid out in Project Restart.

Doctors associated with Premier League clubs were invited to anonymously to send their concerns and any questions over to the league’s medical adviser Mark Gillett and director of football Richard Garlick.

The report claims that the Premier League Doctors Group (PLDG) listed around 100 questions and issues over returning to training which are are yet to be addressed.

Doctors have questioned how they could approve guidelines while there is still a risk of death, while more clarity is needed over how a club can expect to cope with such a significant policy development and change in such a short period of time.

Questions were also raised over the possible transmission of the disease via sweat and how long the virus lives on goalkeeper gloves.

Convincing club doctors and medical staff that playing a full contact sport in the midst of pandemic is safe would appear to be one of the league’s biggest issues, particularly if social distancing guidelines are still in place for the general public.

Sportsmail revealed last month that the Premier League will foot a £4million bill for 26,000 coronavirus tests in a bid to improve safety, with players and essential staff set to be screened twice a week in order to contain the disease.

However, a number of medical staff have major ethical concerns about the regular testing of players, with many believing the tests should be reserved for healthcare workers fighting the coronavirus on the front line.

WORRIED PLAYERS

‘We all want football back, me more than anyone, but I want it to be at the right time and I want it to be safe for everyone,’ John Stones told CityTV this week.

The Manchester City defender is one of an increasing number of players to have spoken out about football’s return, insisting that safety – and not completing the season – remains the priority for the league’s stars.

Last week, Stones’ team-mate Sergio Aguero claimed that ‘the majority of players are scared because they have family, they have children, they have babies, parents’.

Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger, Crystal Palace’s Andros Townsend and Brighton striker Glenn Murray are among the big names to have publicly shared their worries about getting back to action too soon.

The PFA is currently collating the opinions of its players, with stars being asked to air their concerns on Project Restart over WhatsApp.

A delegate from each club has been tasked with gathering the thoughts of his team-mates via their group chats before relaying answers to the union, who in turn pass the information to the Premier League.

Chelsea’s Cesar Azpilicueta, City’s Kevin De Bruyne and West Ham’s Mark Noble are among those representing their sides and are in daily contact with the PFA.

The union want to know their members’ reservations regarding the Premier League’s ambitious plan to return to competition, which is a little over five weeks away.

While most players say they will do as told, some have raised concerns about the prospect of returning to work while the country remains in lockdown.

If a sizeable group of players were to refuse to take part in the remainder of the season on safety grounds, it would cause a major problem for the Premier League.

NEUTRAL GROUNDS

The Premier League want to play the final 92 games of this season behind closed doors at 10 neutral grounds following talks at a shareholders meeting last Friday.

UK authorities, including the police and government, have provided guidance over what would constitute a suitable neutral venue, with the likes of Old Trafford, Wembley and the London Stadium under consideration.

However, the idea that no teams would play home matches for the remainder of the campaign is one that has gone down badly among those sides stuck near the bottom of the table and fearing relegation.

As many as six Premier League clubs — thought to be Brighton, Watford, West Ham, Norwich, Bournemouth and Aston Villa — are understood to have objected to the plans.

Brighton CEO Paul Barber admitted that he will vote against the plans as he fears it will ruin the integrity of the competition at such a crucial stage.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5Live on Monday night, he said: ‘Neutral venues just simply changes the nature of the competition and what we would consider to be unfair and not the right way to go. That is speaking with self-interest.

‘My job is to represent Brighton and Hove Albion and our interests are staying in the Premier League.

‘What we are not going to do, and what we can’t do, is to support something [neutral grounds] that diminishes those prospects [of staying in the Premier League] because that would be wrong.’

On Wednesday, Villa became the second club to publicly oppose the plans, with chief executive Christian Purslow telling talkSPORT: ‘Personally I am against it. We are a club that prides itself on home form.

‘Two-thirds of our wins this season came at home. We have six left. Giving up that advantage is a massive decision and I certainly wouldn’t agree to it unless the circumstances are right. My duty is to my club.

‘The financial equation at the bottom of the table is really rather different to the top. Losses the big six are suffering run to tens of millions of pounds and the restart is a project designed to recoup some of the losses we are suffering.’

Premier League chiefs are lobbying the rebel clubs and Sportsmail understands there is growing optimism that the Premier League will get the 14 votes necessary to continue with Project Restart.

Officials for the top flight, however, want all 20 clubs on board; three – including Brighton and Villa – remain staunchly against plans to play the rest of the season at neutral venues but there is a feeling the rest can be persuaded.

SCRAPPING RELEGATION

During talks over the future of the season, the idea of getting rid of relegation this term was mooted by those clubs caught in a battle at the bottom.

The Premier League, however, want to maintain a 20-team division next season by relegating three teams as normal and welcoming three promoted sides from the Championship.

Earlier this week Sportsmail revealed that some of the Big Six are lobbying for guarantees that promotion and relegation will still be implemented.

It has also been claimed that UK broadcasters, Sky and BT, want to keep relegation so they ‘have drama to sell’ when games begin again behind closed doors.

Still, the issue could be raised again at Monday’s meeting, with struggling sides like rock bottom Norwich unhappy at giving up home advantage as part of the proposal to play at neutral grounds for the remainder of the season.

POSITIVE TESTS

A major question set to be asked on Monday is what happens to the season if a player tests positive for coronavirus after the resumption of training or matches?

Last week, Sportsmail revealed that Premier League medics believe attempts to complete the season will not collapse if a player or staff member contracts the disease.

Clubs will take the view that a positive test would be treated as any other injury, with the individual being taken out of action.

During the early stages of group training, players will be split into small groups – no larger than five.

A positive test would mean the players and staff in the same group would be more susceptible to infection than the rest of his colleagues – but it would not cause the club to mass test and potentially bring a halt to their footballing operation.

Of course, a spate of positive tests would leave the season in major risk.

Former Chelsea doctor, Eva Carneiro, recently warned clubs over the dangers of one positive test, telling BBC Radio 4: ‘It has to be a broad effort, this is greater than any individual, any single entity, any team or manager or player.

‘It only takes one case for this to blow up and to put a lot of individuals at risk as we have observed so something needs to change and potentially could change for the better for all of us.

‘It’s in all our interests to change this.’

THE SCHEDULE

Some Premier League clubs have delayed their return to training by a week in another blow to Project Restart.

Provided the government relaxes lockdown rules on Sunday, some clubs were due to return to their training grounds next Monday to commence small group training.

However, a number of teams have delayed their returns until May 18 at the earliest amid growing concerns over player welfare.

Putting training back by a week could yet affect the date the season restarts, putting more pressure on the Premier League to come up with a feasible schedule.

Officials want to complete the campaign by the end of July in order to avoid a huge rebate of £762million to TV broadcasters and to comply with UEFA’s wishes for all domestic seasons to be finished before August.

UEFA want to complete the Champions League and Europa League in August, with Chelsea, Manchester City, Wolves and Manchester United all still involved.

Source:- All Football