The captains who took part in today’s two-hour meeting will now speak to the players at their clubs about the measures that have been put in place to make their training grounds as safe as possible.

Many players have concerns about their health and safety and the wellbeing of their families, and they have been told that no one will be forced to return to work.

“Some of our players don’t want to come back but the majority will,” one senior executive at a Premier League club said. “They’re going to play again in Germany so there’s no reason why we can’t try to as well.”

The fact that the return of Premier League football is likely to mean the use of 40,000 tests is also controversial for some players, as they will likely be tested at least twice a week, including in the 48 hours before they are due to train.

Another bone of contention is the so-called consent forms which players have to sign to show that they agree to abide by the new training protocols.

Although they are concerned that this could lead to them signing away some of their legal, insurance and employment rights, they have been told the forms do not supersede any of their club’s obligations to them.

Concerns covered at Wednesday’s meeting also included data which shows BAME groups are more at risk of catching and dying from Covid-19.