Sporting director of Leeds United's promotion rivals makes bold claim ahead of restart

The second-placed Baggies only trail Championship front-runners Leeds United by a point with Slaven Bilic's side six points clear of third-placed Fulham.

Action in English football's second tier is set to resume over the weekend of June 20 following the country's battle against coronavirus but West Brom chief Dowling says he would have no fears returning even sooner.

"Where we are fitness-wise and mentally, we're in a really good place. It wouldn't scare me if we were playing next weekend," Dowling told Sky Sports' The Football Show.

"I've heard different clubs who agree or don't agree with that start date, I think the best thing they've done is taking out that midweek game between the 20th and the 27th, which gives teams a week training then going into the second game.

"Our sports science team I can't praise enough. In that period where the players were at home and training on their own, they were on the scene daily and keeping their fitness levels up.

"That's why I'm confident that we can hit the ground running because we have been on top of the players since the Swansea game, which is the last game we played.

"Other clubs may have a different opinion about it being too soon, that may be because they've had to furlough their players during their break or their staff have been furloughed, and we all know that unless you keep on top of players, they won't always do what we want them to do.

"That's where we have been fortunate as the sports science guys have been really good with them, and also credit to the players, people think that there's nothing to do in their period apart from exercise but they still have to be motivated.

"We have got the carrot of promotion because they want to be in shape but I think their professionalism has been really good."

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