English Premier League giants step up preparation with practice games

Premier League clubs stepped up their preparations for the season restart with practice matches over the weekend.

Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford came through an intra-club match at Old Trafford unscathed after being sidelined with injury before the Premier League was put on hold. Picture: AFP

Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal were among the clubs who stepped up their preparations for the Premier League’s return by holding practice matches on Saturday.

Clubs are attempting to build up their players’ fitness levels as well as get used to playing without fans before the league resumes on June 17 after a 100-day suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The league also announced on Saturday that the sixth round of COVID-19 testing of 1195 players and staff across the 20 clubs on Thursday and Friday produced no positive tests.

Arsenal, who will be in action on the first night back away to Manchester City, hosted second-tier side Charlton at the Emirates Stadium.

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Eddie Nketiah scored a hat trick in a 6-0 win for the Gunners, with forwards Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette also finding the net.

Manchester United, who return to league action against Tottenham Hotspur on June 19, staged a game between members of the first-team squad at Old Trafford on Saturday.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have been particularly pleased to see Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba back in action after the pair spent a sustained period out through injury prior to the season being suspended.

Players drove to the stadium in their match kit and the game was refereed by fitness coach Charlie Owen.

Chelsea held an intra-club match at Stamford Bridge. The Blues occupy fourth spot on the ladder, three points clear of United, and will resume their campaign against Aston Villa on June 21.

Manager Frank Lampard and his coaching staff acted as officials for the match, which saw the squad split and wear their home and away kit.

Second-from-bottom Villa drew 2-2 in a friendly against West Bromwich Albion, whose campaign in the second-tier Championship is due to resume later this month.

AP