Oxford United players are due to come out of furlough leave tomorrow following the clubs’ decision to begin a coronavirus testing schedule.
All players and staff will be tested at the training ground with results expected by the end of the week. Any positive tests will result in self-isolation for seven days, but the club are hoping for training to resume from Monday.
Monday was also supposed to be the day that the EFL decided on the outcome of ending the current season, but the deadline has now been pushed back to Tuesday following their recent statement.
Whatever decision is made, the U’s know they will be in action. Playing all remaining games – something the club have intended to do since the pandemic broke – is looking highly unlikely given the time it has taken to reach a decision, but playoffs are looking like the most realistic option.
U’s boss Karl Robinson has praised the club’s board for sanctioning the decision to return now. He told the Oxford Mail: “We’ve always said we want to play and at the very earliest opportunity we would bring our players off furlough.
“We probably will be the first team (in League One) to do so and I think that’s an unbelievable statement by the board.”
Players have been training voluntarily and have booked individual slots to use the training ground, but a decision on which phase of training is still awaiting a decision.
Robinson added: “We have the players’ wellbeing to take care of and their health. At no stage does anyone at the club want to put that in jeopardy.
“We’re just looking forward to it all being official and ready to go.
“Not all of our staff have been furloughed, so all those who have been employed have been working round the clock to make sure everything is organised.
“I’ve been so proud of everybody in the building and how they’ve conducted themselves.
“We’re looking forward to carrying out testing on Friday and seeing where that takes us.”
Monday will mark 87 days since the club last took place in training. Robinson is well aware that it will take time for the players to regain match sharpness, with that period just four days less than the close season. Despite that, the U’s boss is feeling positive.
“Everyone seems to be fully fit. We won’t know 100 per cent until we start back in groups where we can have a bit more of an intensity to training,” he added.
The U’s are set to become the first Sky Bet League One club to begin testing.
