Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder expects the players will need a mini preseason before Premier League games can be played after the lockdown is lifted.

The Blades boss says he would like to see football return as soon as possible, so supporters can watch games on television once again:

“I should imagine it will be a pre-season and then back into the games. I am 100 per cent certain that there is a massive enthusiasm, not just from the Premier League or just the Premier League clubs and players, but the overall nation, to get some football back out on the screens.

“Hopefully, that will boost morale in the country because there is not a lot of good news stories coming out of the media at the moment. Hopefully, that will be one and we can shift our attentions to watching a bit of football through this terrible period.”

All 20 Premier League teams will hold a meeting tomorrow to determine the next steps, but it is believed that a large minority of clubs now want the season concluded by June 30th.

With loans and contracts expiring on that date, it could prove problematic if the campaign is not completed by then, but that does raise question marks over how all fixtures will be played in such a timescale.

The government’s lockdown is expected to last until at least May 7th so that means training will not be able to resume until then. The timeframe for games to be played could, therefore, narrow considerably.