Danny Cowley on Huddersfield Town players returning to contact training this week

The EFL are in the process of allowing Championship clubs to progress to contact sessions after they returned to small-scale training at the start of last week.

Leeds United are stepping up their training regime at Thorp Arch after their full contact risk assessment was accepted by the governing body, while West Brom are expected to return to full training this afternoon (Tuesday).

Across the division, full-scale training is being gradually phased in this week.

The EFL revealed on Sunday that the season is provisionally poised to restart behind closed doors over the weekend of June 20.

Clubs will still need to fulfil safety requirements and government guidance ahead of a potential return and require police approval to stage matches at their own grounds.

On the condition of Huddersfield's players, Terriers chief Cowley - whose side are three points above the relegation zone with nine games remaining - said: “We feel like we’ve made some real gains. Now we are looking forward to the next stage to go into some contact training.

“In the last two weeks of lockdown, we were able to do more individual work; introduce balls, changes of direction, more accelerations and decelerations, more football related movement, so they came back in a good place.

"Of course, this part of our training at the minute is quite physically orientated, but at the same time we try and affect the technical and tactical aspects of the game.

"It’s been valuable for us really, when you take over a team mid-season, you get the pre-season that somebody else has planned, prepared and delivered. To have this time has been invaluable.

"We’ve got some really good work into the players. I’ve been really impressed with their level of fitness.

"Credit to the coaching and sports science team to how the players have been looked after in that area.

"We are in a really good place, so credit to the players because their attitude and work ethic have been excellent."