Leeds United await news from EFL as date emerges for Premier League restart with every game shown live

THE resumption of Leeds United's Championship promotion push has moved a big step closer with news that the Premier League is set to restart in less than three weeks' time.
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Executives from the 20 top-flight clubs gathered for a shareholders' meeting on Thursday and agreed a new provisional restart date for the 2019/20 season of Wednesday, June 17, provided that all safety requirements are in place.

Aston Villa's hosting of Sheffield United and Manchester City's home tie against Arsenal, postponed due to the Carabao Cup final, will now take place on June 17, followed by a full match round beginning on Friday, June 19.

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Due to COVID-19, matches will take place behind closed doors but shareholders approved a proposal that would see all 92 remaining matches broadcast live in the UK by the League’s existing broadcast partners: Sky Sports, BT Sport, BBC Sport and Amazon Prime.

BACK SOON: Premier League games will restart on June 17. Pictured is the Nike Premier League Tunnel Vision Merlin Ball during the clash between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge in February. Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images.BACK SOON: Premier League games will restart on June 17. Pictured is the Nike Premier League Tunnel Vision Merlin Ball during the clash between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge in February. Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images.
BACK SOON: Premier League games will restart on June 17. Pictured is the Nike Premier League Tunnel Vision Merlin Ball during the clash between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge in February. Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images.

The EFL, meanwhile, had been looking at Saturday, June 20 as a possible date to resume the Championship season, the remainder of which would be cancelled if 51 per cent of Championship clubs opted for curtailment.

In that event, Championship front-runners Leeds would be declared champions through the EFL's selected unweighted points per game model with the EFL also saying that promotion and relegation should be retained.

But United chief executive Angus Kinnear has already stated the club's desire to conclude their promotion push on the pitch and it is understood that the majority of other Championship clubs are in favour of completing all remaining games.

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Leeds have not played since the 2-0 win at home to Huddersfield Town on March 7 with the Championship season then later becoming suspended due to the country's battle against coronavirus.

Individuals from two Championship clubs have tested positive for coronavirus as part of the EFL's latest round of testing for COVID-19.

Two of those individuals are from Leeds United's promotion rivals Fulham while Blackburn Rovers have also revealed that captain Elliott Bennett has also tested positive for coronavirus.

A total of 1030 players and club staff were tested over the course of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday as part of the second round of tests.

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The three players or club staff who have tested positive will now self-isolate in line with the guidelines provided by the EFL and only those who have tested negative will be permitted to enter training ground facilities.

The EFL say they will continue to make regular and relevant announcements as appropriate in respect of the testing programme to support competition integrity and transparency.

United returned to tailored training on Monday with only two individuals from one fellow Championship club having been tested positive for coronavirus as part of the first set of tests across the division.

Both individuals were from fourth-bottom Hull City.

The last action in the Premier League was on March 9, before the competition was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic on March 13.

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Clubs voted unanimously on protocols for contact training on Wednesday, another step along the road to resumption.

Four individuals connected to three clubs tested positive for coronavirus in the league's third round of testing, with 1,008 staff from Premier League clubs tested.

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