Almería’s first-team squad set to return to individual training sticking to guidelines
The Juegos Mediterraneos Stadium has been disinfected and from now on the players will undergo medical tests and begin individual training
UD Almería are already preparing for the return to training, after they were suspended in mid-March as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, which also led the League to shut down. Their return comes with a number of caveats and will not involve group training sessions.
There are dates for returning to training with guidelines provided for players and clubs to follow. Firstly, the club has hired a company, Indalplaga, in order to carry out a deep cleanse and complete disinfection of the Juegos Mediterraneos Stadium facilities such as dressing rooms, boardroom, medical room, tunnel area, weight room, meeting rooms, coaching staff office, laundry room, club reception and head office.
The next step will be for the players to undergo medical tests on Wednesday and Thursday, together with the backroom staff. It will take up to 48 hours from the time of collection to players and coaches learning the result. If the results are negative, the first-team squad will return to training individually.
In an effort to reduce the upheaval, Almeria armed its squad with individual workout programmes and additional gym equipment. This is how footballers have been training at home since the League was suspended. The Rojiblancos will now be able to operate in their usual workplace, the Juegos Mediterraneos Stadium, albeit to strict guidelines, so as to avoid potential infections.
In this sense, Almería could start training either on Friday or Saturday, using both the main pitch and the Anexo training ground. Initially, a maximum of 6 players will only be allowed to train individually in each pitch, whereas physical contact including tackling and close-proximity drills are banned.
There will be no contact at all between team-players and they will commute independently to the Stadium in staggered arrival times, every 15 minutes. The players will also access to the stadium through different doors. There will be morning and afternoon training sessions. The members of the team will exercise alone sticking to these guidelines until approximately 18th May. On this date, the next phase of the de-escalation plan kicks in including group training as preparations step up for the resumption of football.