Top football chief believes fans could return sooner than expected, as clubs including Sheffield United prepare to play behind closed doors

The words of Gabriel Gravina, president of the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio, will raise hopes among fans of Chris Wilder’s side and England’s other leading 20 clubs that they could be able to watch their teams in the flesh should the health situation allow.

Although officials at the PL are privately briefing that spectators might not be allowed to attend games until next year, there is a possibility restrictions could be relaxed if the nationwide health situation allows.

Like the FA, the FIGC suspended all competition in March because of the Covid-19 pandemic. But with action in Italy scheduled to restart on June 20 - three days after United are set to visit Villa, Gravina said: “It is hard to imagine that, with all the precautions that are being taken, you cannot have a certain percentage of people inside a stadium with 60,000 or 80,000 seats.”

Speaking during an interview with an Italian radio station, Gravina added that permitting entry would be “a sign of hope” as the world battles to bring the spread of a disease which has so far claimed nearly 400,000 lives under control.

Allowing supporters to attend fixtures until infection rates are reduced will be fraught with difficulty, however. Only four of the PL’s 20 clubs compete at stadiums capable of holding 60,000 or more, compared to five in Italy. Players in England are also undergoing bi-weekly health screenings, with accredited journalists and essential matchday staff being informed they must pass temperature checks before being allowed inside grounds when action resumes. If the gates are reopened to members of the public, albeit with numbers strictly limited, it would also force clubs to decide which season ticket holders could attend matches and then adjust any refunds they are potentially eligible for.

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