Barnsley's Jacob Brown eager for a return to training and hoping to seal Tykes' fate on the pitch

WAITING GAME: For Barnsley's Jacob Brown. Picture: George Wood/Getty Images.WAITING GAME: For Barnsley's Jacob Brown. Picture: George Wood/Getty Images.
WAITING GAME: For Barnsley's Jacob Brown. Picture: George Wood/Getty Images. | Getty
TODAY was the day when EFL players had hoped to return to team training for the first time since mid-March but they could only be made to wait nine more days before training alongside their teammates again.
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In April, the EFL set out plans to potentially complete the season in 56 days and told clubs to plan for a return to training on May 16, which is today, at the earliest.

But that was pushed back to May 25 on Wednesday and players will initially train together in smaller groups as the Government aims to ease its lockdown restrictions while trying to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

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ALL QUIET: Barnsley's Oakwell Stadium. Picture: George Wood/Getty Images.ALL QUIET: Barnsley's Oakwell Stadium. Picture: George Wood/Getty Images.
ALL QUIET: Barnsley's Oakwell Stadium. Picture: George Wood/Getty Images. | Getty

Sheffield United stars have been doing individual sessions, in line with social distancing guidelines, at the club's training ground as Premier League bosses remain in discussions over a resumption.

Championship players have been forced to train on their own at home and Barnsley's Jacob Brown is one player "itching" to get back playing while Huddersfield Town's Lewis O'Brien revealed last week he has been ordered to step up his training regime.

Brown insists that he is not sure of any player in the Championship who is reluctant to return to action, as he hopes to seal the Tykes' fate this season on the pitch.

"As far as I know, every player wants to play. There’s not one single player out there who doesn’t want to play football," he told barnsleyfc.co.uk.

“But we have to be safe.

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“It’s not just about the footballers, we are expected to go out there and then come back to our families. People might be living with vulnerable family members, so, it’s tough because you don’t want to do anything that could possibly put those people in danger.”

League Two clubs voted to curtail their campaign on Friday with the final table set to be decided on an unweighted points-per-game basis.

Brown admits he would be "devastated" if the Reds were sent down in such a manner, with 27 points still up for grabs if the season can resume.

He added: "It might not seem a lot, just nine games, but that’s 27 points and there’s plenty there to make a difference and turn the season around.

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“So if they were to use some kind of points per game system, or anything that relegates us with nine games left, that would be devastating.

“But there are people higher up than us footballers who make these decisions, and it’ll affect those at the top and bottom, should it come to that, so we’d have no choice but to just get on with it.”

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