Manchester United have cancelled all training sessions at Carrington in the face of fresh government advice for controlling the coronavirus outbreak. On Monday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged everyone to avoid “non-essential” contact with others, in a bid to contain the ongoing epidemic. United have rightly responded by calling a halt to all group coaching, and will be asking players to continue working individually.
An unnamed club spokesperson has been quoted in the Guardian thus: “We continue to review the situation day by day, but in light of [the] evolving situation and latest governmental guidance the team will now be training individually away from the ATC [Aon training complex].” The article notes that Manchester City players are thought to also be working individually.
The news has emerged on the same day that UEFA has postponed Euro 2020 until 2021, potentially opening up a window for the completion of the domestic season in the summer. All remains contingent, of course, on the ability to control the spread of COVID-19. An exclusive document seen by the Guardian has suggested the epidemic could last into the spring of 2021.