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Watford boss Pearson fearful o...

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Watford boss Pearson fearful of COVID-19 fatalities if Premier League resumes


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Watford manager Nigel Pearson is urging caution ahead of a decision on whether to resume the Premier League season, saying he fears a potential COVID-19 death.

Clubs are expected to back proposals on Monday which would see training return ahead of a possible resumption of the English top-flight in the middle of next month.

But the Hornets' boss says he has safety concerns about the current "Project Restart" plans:

"God forbid we have a fatality," Pearson told The Times. "People are closing their eyes to the threat.

"Yes, we would like to restart it but it's got to be safe. We should be cautious. To ignore possibilities is foolhardy. It's about safeguarding people's health.

"We have to try to believe Government advice that we're being given that we've reached the peak but there's still an incredible number of people losing their lives through this.

"The death toll in the UK is anything between 33,000 and 38,000. That's filling our stadium and then filling it half again. It's a sobering thought."

Norwich captain Grant Hanley says players are also looking for more clarity on safety protocols:

"I think the overall feeling is that players have got concerns, there's just so much uncertainty.

"Looking at the protocols for going back to training, I think that's probably fair enough. But it's just the next step after that, like where do we go from there? In terms of going back into contact training and games.

"My missus is pregnant and she's due at the start of July, so there's obviously worries there for myself. Some lads have obviously got vulnerable family members or whatever.

"It's just so difficult to see five or six days in front of us or anything past that.


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