The English Premier League is set to return on June 17 after its clubs agreed in principle on a return to action.
The league has been suspended since March due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but is now to return in a behind-closed-doors format in the middle of next month.
Under the plan to return, the first matches played on June 17 would see Aston Villa face Sheffield United and Arsenal travel to Manchester City, matches that would bring all teams in the league up to the same number of games played.
A full fixture list would then be played out on the weekend of 20-21 June.
The decision was taken at a Premier League meeting, with the final details of the restart still being discussed.
The news follows the organisation’s announcement yesterday (Wednesday) that clubs could return to full contact training, with players previously having been kept apart since sessions resumed last week.
Earlier today, it was reported by The Guardian that a group of clubs, led by Liverpool, were to argue at the meeting today against paying a £330m (€367.8m/$406.7m) rebate to the league’s broadcasters, including pay-television giant Sky. This came despite the Premier League’s recommendation that the rebate proposal should be accepted.
English football has been suspended since March 13 following an emergency meeting between the Premier League, the Football Association, the English Football League and the Women’s Super League.
