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WAITING GAME

When will the Premier League return?

FOOTBALL fans around the world are waiting patiently for the Premier League to return.

The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in most sport around the globe being either cancelled or postponed - and there's been no top-flight football in England since March 13.


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 The Premier League has been suspended indefinitely
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The Premier League has been suspended indefinitelyCredit: Getty Images - Getty

What date will the Premier League return?

WHAT we currently know for sure is that the Premier League and EFL seasons are on hold indefinitely.

This means there is no concrete date for a restart.

Initially, bosses gave an optimistic date for talks on April 3 when suspending football down the pyramid in mid-March.

That was extended until April 30, before bosses confirmed they had taken the decision to indefinitely suspend proceedings and resume 'when safe to do so'.

 Liverpool were closing in on their first league title of the Premier League era
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Liverpool were closing in on their first league title of the Premier League eraCredit: PA:Press Association

Cancelling the season remains a last resort and would result in huge financial issues for teams from top to bottom of England's football pyramid.

SunSport delved into the financial cost of a cancellation and it was bad news for every Premier League team.

Manchester United would be hardest hit, losing a whopping £116.4m, while Norwich would be least affected but still face a massive £19.5m hole.

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As for what happens next, the situation continues to be ever-changing.

Premier League bosses maintain that they want the 2019/20 played out, which would most likely occur behind closed doors.

Declaring the season null and void, or finishing the season with the current standings, remains both unpopular with bigwigs.

There was even a suggestion of the league heading to CHINA or Qatar in a bid to complete the remaining matches, but that appears to have been shelved.

Fifa have set out their own guidelines in a bid to help domestic leagues get their season finished when safe to do so.

This includes changes to the transfer windows, as well as contract extensions to help clubs negotiate what could be a legal minefield in the summer.

On 12 April, it was reported that the Premier League could return in June or July as a solely 'TV event', with it suggested that Wembley could be used to stage up to FOUR games a day to make it happen.

Premier League clubs met on Friday 17 April for a two-hour meeting, with the best-case scenario discussed seeing the first behind-closed-doors games take place on Monday June 8, meaning training would resume in mid-May.

Mass testing will be made available for all players, staff and media at training grounds and stadiums as they desperately try to cram all remaining fixtures into just a six-week period.

Clubs face the prospect of playing as late as August - with the Big Six leading the charge AGAINST ending the season early on June 30.

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How many games are left?

THE last game that took place in the Premier League was on March 9.

Leicester demolished Aston Villa 4-0 at the King Power Stadium to consolidate their position in the top three.

The majority of the league have played 29 league games, with Villa, Sheffield United, Man City and Arsenal all with an extra match to play.

That leaves nine matches remaining for the majority, ten for the above sides.

Here's how the currently table looks:

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