West Ham's Manuel Lanzini warns Premier League return would be 'crazy' without coronavirus vaccine

Joe Krishnan5 May 2020

West Ham midfielder Manuel Lanzini believes it would be "crazy" for the Premier League to resume playing while coronavirus remains a threat to player safety.

Under plans titled 'Project Restart', the Premier League - along with clubs, players and key organisations - are hoping to return to action on June 12, as they embark on playing 92 games across a seven-week period ending by July 27.

Several ideas have been floated, from games being played at neutral venues to the Premier League choosing a country abroad - such as Australia - which has been less affected by Covid-19.

On May 5, the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the return of the Premier League would "lift the spirits of people" and revealed plans to play fixtures behind closed doors were "under consideration".

A number of Premier League clubs including Lanzini's West Ham - are already back at their training grounds, with players training under strict social distancing guidelines.

But the Argentine believes resuming the season could compromise players' safety unless a vaccine is made available.

Concerns: West Ham playmaker Manuel Lanzini  Photo: West Ham United FC via Getty Images
West Ham United FC via Getty Ima

"It's difficult. For me, it would be crazy to start playing again," he told Closs Continental Radio.

"Until there is a vaccine that protects you, this is going to be a contagion constantly if the measures that have to be taken are not taken.

"In Germany, they returned to training and there was much more case of contagion of players and they had to take other measures.

"So, I think you can take measures, they say that being athletes the risk is much less, but it can happen, it has happened.

"If you ask me, I obviously want to play. I want to play, train, but I also have a family, I’m here with my girlfriend, my parents are over there, but you need to protect the children who are young [and old] parents.

In Pictures | Arsenal vs West Ham | 07/03/2020

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"It may be that because you have high defences [a strong immune system], you are physically well or you are an athlete, nothing happens to you.

"But you have to look around also because there you have a father who is high-risk or an uncle, so it is difficult.

"I do not know if [we should restart] in 2021, but I think we should wait a bit until it calms down, until other measures are taken, because this is very soon."

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