Paul Scholes was speaking on The Netball Show on Sky Sports
Wednesday 13 May 2020 17:14, UK
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes is optimistic the domestic season can be completed within five weeks and says 'machine-like' Premier League players only need two weeks to get fit.
Top-level football in England has been suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, but with lockdown measures now easing, professional sport has been given the green light to return behind closed doors from June 1.
Scholes believes we should look to get the Premier League season back up and running as soon as possible, and thinks action could resume as soon as June 10, but is concerned European competitions will be difficult to complete.
Speaking on The Netball Show on Sky Sports News, Scholes said: "People are trying to stick to guidelines and the guidelines are that there'll be no professional football until June 1.
"So I think if we are going to stick to the guidelines we should try and get as close to that as we possibly can.
"Players these days are so fit - they are like machines half of them - so I think they only need two weeks of full training to get back in to it and hopefully by June 10, 11 or 12, they should be ready to go.
"I think domestically, we can get the league done, the FA Cup done. I think it is going to be very difficult for European competition with the Champions League and Europa League. I think it's going to be difficult to get that done.
"But, I think domestically, we can get the season done in five or six weeks, have a break and then get into next season as well."
According to a report in the Daily Telegraph on Wednesday, the Premier League will detail significant "cultural changes" that must be accepted by players for football to return, including suggestions that players should turn their face away as they get up from a tackle and to avoid face-to-face contact where possible.
Graeme Souness says the suggestion is the daftest thing he has heard so far about football's return.
Scholes, who was known for his rash challenges as a player, admits he would have struggled if the rule was in place during his career.
"I wouldn't have coped with that anyway," he added.
"That's just not real. It has to be safe to train first of all and it has to be full on. You can't not tackle, you can't not get into people's faces when you're playing football."
