If it is scientifically safe, players should get their backsides in gear - both for the integrity of the Prem and the fact that they have a contract STAN COLLYMORE

TROY DEENEY and N’golo Kante have my absolute backing on the stance they are taking during this pandemic.

If they feel they are putting themselves or their families at risk by returning to training then I fully understand them not doing so.

I would give my support to any player in that situation, as things stand.

But what we need now for the integrity of the Premier League is to get ourselves to a position in three weeks’ time where every player who is injury free is available and comfortable to play. And it will be down to the

Professional Footballers’ Association and Gordon Taylor to do that. The PFA is one of, if not the, wealthiest unions in the world, and its chief executive should be coming out this week and telling its members they will pay whatever it takes to employ the most senior medical officer in the country below Jonathan Van-tam and Jenny Harries.

Risk

That person, along with two or three colleagues of a similar standing, must then take charge of testing lock, stock and barrel – from overseeing the equipment to the efficacy and frequency of the tests, and the results they provide. And by mid-june, they must present the results of their findings to the players so they can know one way or the other whether it is safe for them to start playing again.

If the doctors believe there is a serious risk of infection to any of them we will need to consider things very seriously.

And if we find out that BAME players are more at risk than their peers then the Premier League is going to have to have a conversation about whether or not to proceed.

I know people will point to Germany and say, ‘Well, they are playing, so why can’t we?’ But some of our teams are made up of 50, 60 and even 70 per cent BAME players, and Germany doesn’t have the percentage of black players we have in England.

Protocols

And if large numbers of BAME players decide against playing based on the evidence of the findings then, again, the integrity of the tournament is up for question.

However, if the results of such an investigation come back and say that the protocols and procedures in place