Watford confirm three cases, Burnley assistant positive as Premier League conducts coronavirus testing

Chelsea's Olivier Giroud outside Cobham Training Centre. Reuters

Chelsea's English defender Reece James arrives at Chelsea's Cobham training facility in Stoke D'Abernon, southwest of London. AFP

Chelsea's English midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek arrives at Chelsea's Cobham training facility. AFP

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker gives a V-sign as he arrives for a training session to the Melwood training facility in Liverpool. EPA

Liverpool's Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk arrives at Melwood. AFP

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Liverpool's Jordan Henderson leaves training at Melwood. Reuters

Tottenham Hotspur's Serge Aurier leaves the Tottenham Hotspur training centre after training. Reuters

Chelsea Technical and Performance Advisor Petr Cech arrives at Cobham Training Centre. Reuters

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Tottenham Hotspur's Jan Vertonghen arrives for training at the Tottenham Hotspur training centre in north London. Reuters

Tottenham Hotspur's English midfielder Dele Alli arrives at the Tottenham training ground in north London. AFP

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta arrives for training at the Arsenal Training Centre at London Colney. Reuters

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Arsenal's Sead Kolasinac arrives at the Arsenal Training Centre. Reuters

Arsenal's Ainsley Maitland-Niles arrives at the English Premier League side's training complex at London Colney, near St Albans. EPA

Six individuals connected to three unnamed Premier League clubs have tested positive for coronavirus as sides return to small group training amid the pandemic.

The Covid-19 tests were conducted on Sunday and Monday as part of the league's partnership with the Prenetics consortium, and are due to take place twice a week from now on. Forty tests will be carried out at each club in each session.

The league said in a statement: "The Premier League can today confirm that on Sunday 17 May and Monday 18 May, 748 players and club staff were tested for Covid-19. Of these, six have tested positive from three clubs.

"Players or club staff who have tested positive will now self-isolate for a period of seven days.

"The Premier League is providing this aggregated information for the purposes of competition integrity and transparency.

"No specific details as to clubs or individuals will be provided by the League and results will be made public in this way after each round of testing."

Watford later announced that three people, including one player had tested positive for the virus and all three would self-isolate for seven days in line with Premier League guidelines.

Burnley said that their assistant coach Ian Woan was among those to give a positive result after being tested on Sunday.

"In line with strict Premier League requirements and following a positive test, Ian will now self-isolate for a period of seven days, with a view to being tested again week commencing Monday, May 25," said Burnley's statement.

"Ian is asymptomatic and is currently safe and well at home. He will remain in close communication with club personnel regarding his re-engagement in training once he is clear of the virus."

The first step of a comeback to training involves small groups of up to five players working together, while practising social distancing, with sessions to last no more than 75 minutes for any one player.

The 20 top-flight clubs unanimously agreed the protocols for small group training to resume and will gather again on May 26 to discuss protocols for contact training.

June 12 has been mentioned as a resumption date, but the league's chief executive Richard Masters has said that was only ever to be treated as a "staging post".

Premier League clubs will be subjected to spot-checks to ensure they are complying with training protocols, while the league has also committed to making every positive Covid-19 test public knowledge.

The German Bundesliga became the first major European football league to restart after the coronavirus shutdown when it resumed without supporters at the games over the weekend.