Business as usual - Leeds United can continue to make the best of a bad situation

Tighter restrictions were announced by the Prime Minister Boris Johnson last night, including the closure of all schools and colleges, one day after primaries across the country returned from their Christmas break,

Elite sport has been granted an exemption from the restrictions, which means Leeds United's Premier League adventure will continue. It's a matter of no small amount of relief for Whites fans, who had to endure a three-month suspension of the 2019/20 season with their club's promotion hopes up in the air.

The new lockdown will have an impact on football clubs like Leeds. Although Elland Road's in-office staffing levels were kept to a minimum, more staff members will now have to work remotely.

But for Marcelo Bielsa, his players, coaches and club employees on the twice-weekly Covid-19 testing list, their work can continue under the strict protocols that had been put in place to allow football to resume last summer.

Thorp Arch was closed to all but essential visitors, Bielsa's press conferences moved online via Zoom calls and on match days Leeds and their opponents are kept as far apart as possible until they meet on the pitch. In stadiums where it's possible, they enter the pitch via different parts of the ground and the pre-game handshake has been abandoned. Attendance at games has been limited to a small number of media members, club directors and staff

The Premier League believe their protocols are sturdy enough to protect players and ensure fixtures can go on. Last week they refuted claims that a 'circuit break' was being discussed as an option, after the highest number of positive tests were recorded in a single round of top flight testing. Manchester City, Newcastle United and Fulham have all had to ask for games to be postponed due to outbreaks of the virus but as yet Leeds' games have been able to take place as scheduled.

So the entertainment provided by Bielsa's men, who have scored 30 goals and conceded 33 in their 17 games, can continue to offer Whites supporters some measure of solace and comfort during a lockdown that is expected to last at least six weeks.

By the end of that time, Leeds will hope to have taken a big step closer to securing top flight status for next season. From a financial point of view they earned promotion at exactly the right time, Premier League TV money goes a long way towards balancing books that would look a lot less healthy were they still a Championship club during a season without fans in the ground. But therein lies the great shame of the 2020/21 season - Leeds are yet to play in front of their own supporters and haven't enjoyed a full Elland Road since last March. Their only experience of a Premier League audience this season came at Chelsea, when 2,000 Blues were permitted into the stadium thanks to London's Tier 2 status and the home fans took the opportunity to make high pitched noises every time Diego Llorente touched the ball.

Football being allowed to carry on, for now, is good news but Leeds are still very much making the best of a bad situation.