Report: EPL unlikely to restart June 12, date could be decided this week

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The Premier League's return will probably have to wait a little longer.

Resuming the season on the initial target date of June 12 is increasingly unlikely, and a new date could be decided later this week during a series of meetings, according to James Olley of ESPN FC.

Teams will vote on proposals for a return to contact training on Wednesday after the British government issued new guidelines for elite sport on Sunday.

After the vote, Premier League shareholders will reportedly hold a longer meeting Thursday to discuss a wide range of issues, including when to restart the season and complete the remaining 92 fixtures.

Some clubs prefer to resume the season on a Friday later in June, sources told Olley, who adds the most likely scenario will see the Premier League restart on June 19 or June 26 as Britain begins to ease its lockdown restrictions.

But a proposed restart date will depend on a decision over when teams can resume contact training, as clubs have apparently insisted players will need three weeks to prepare.

Tottenham's home encounter with Manchester United could be the first match played since the season was suspended on March 13 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Olley reports.

Premier League teams began non-contact training last week, though some players have refused to participate. Watford forward Troy Deeney said he will not return due to concerns over potentially passing the virus on to his son, while Chelsea will reportedly allow N'Golo Kante to miss the rest of the season as he feels unsafe.

Two rounds of coronavirus testing have been completed since players returned to training on May 18. Of the 1,744 tests carried out, eight players and staff members have tested positive and have been placed in self-isolation.