What Premier League return means to Sheffield Wednesday and the Championship

While the Owls and their counterparts in the second-tier got back to work on Monday as they aim for a return around June 13th, PL clubs have already been back for more than a week having returned to their respective training grounds on May 19th.

Now, with the Premier League announcing that they have ‘agreed to a new provisional restart date for the 2019/20 season of Wednesday 17 June, provided that all safety requirements are in place’, it would seem that they see a month of training as enough for the players to be able to perform once more.

The Championship, however, is about a week behind the top-flight, and Garry Monk has previously stated that his Wednesday side would need four weeks of full training before they would be able to play at the required level.

Speaking recently, he said, “We’d need at least four weeks of phase three to even have them ready for a game, let alone nine games in a short period of time.

“This is a big concern for all the managers. Of course, the biggest reason for that is for players and injuries, and their well-being in terms of being able to play a football match. So it’s not just as straightforward as some people think.”

If the PL’s decision – which will reportedly see the Owls’ local rivals, Sheffield United, as one of the first games back – is anything to go by, and 29 days of any sort of training is seen as the benchmark, then Monk and his side could also be back before June is over.

The Owls are currently training in small groups - with no contact at this point - making a fully-fledged return on June 13th a tough call, 29 days from their first day back would make it June 23rd if the two divisions were to work to the same kind of timeline.

More Wednesday reading:

Sheffield Wednesday looking good as return draws closer

Westwood or Dawson? – What the stats say about Sheffield Wednesday’s stoppers…

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