Lacazette and Luiz lead the Arsenal stars arriving in shifts for isolated training after DAYS away, as Gunners become the first Premier League team to head back to work amid coronavirus suspension
- Arsenal players were pictured upon arrival back at training on Monday morning
- Stars were not allowed to socialize and must still follow distancing guidelines
- Five players at a time worked on separate pitches with individual footballs
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid –
After days of lockdown they worked in isolation on ten-pitch complex
By Will Griffee For Mailonline Published: : (BST, April :
David Luiz and Alexandre Lacazette were among the Arsenal stars back in training at their Colney base on Monday for the first session after lockdown.
After days away from their HQ due to coronavirus restrictions, the Gunners players were permitted to train separately, each on their own pitch with their own designated ball.
Each member of the senior squad had to travel alone and Emilio Martinez pulled up in his convertible red Corvette While Luiz was pictured rolling up to the facility in St Albans shortly afterwards.
David Luiz was among the first to arrive with the players still told not to socialize
Alexandre Lacazette pulled up to training with the first five players on Monday morning
Emiliano Martinez rolled up to Arsenal training in his convertible as the players returned
The government has urged the Premier League to try to get games back on by June to lift the moo d of the country and Arsenal’s return to action, albeit in isolation, is an encouraging step.
The Premier League has been suspended since March
, But there are plans to continue matches behind closed doors in an attempt to finish the current season.
(FROM ARTETA’S POSITIVE TEST TO A RETURN TO ACTION:
The Spaniard was the first big name in English football to test positive for coronavirus, with Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi then contracting the virus just hours later.
Arteta’s diagnosis sent approximately
members of Arsenal staff, including his first-team squad, into self-isolation and triggered the suspension of the Premier League.
After recovering, the Arsenal boss said: ‘I’m very well now, I feel that I have recovered. It took me three or four days to start feeling much better and with more energy, to leave the symptoms behind, and now the truth is that I feel well. ‘
Arteta’s positive test came after it emerged that Olympiacos owner Evangelos Marinakis had also contracted the virus.
Marinakis had been in contact with Arsenal stars, staff and executives when Olympiacos knocked the Gunners out of the Europa League at the Emirates at the end of February.
Hector Belerin listened to music through some earphones as he made his entrance
Granit Xhaka was among the second group of players to report for duty on Monday
Organizers have drawn up a plan called ‘Project Restart’ which could see matches played again as soo n as June 8 at ‘approved neutral venues.’
It has been seven weeks since the Arsenal players were last able to train in the familiar surroundings but strict coronavirus guidelines are still in place.
A number of the team have experienced issues trying to go out for runs at home as fans are desperate to interact with them, get an autograph or a selfie, flouting the restrictions.
The Gunners have been able to use fixed gym machines but struggled when it comes to working out in the open air with dynamic movement.
Pablo Mari was also one of the Arsenal players entering the complex on an overcast day
The Players have been told to enter and leave directly before and after each session
Lacazette and his team-mates will be hoping for the Premier League to return soon
Arsenal believe the plans they have put in place now will allow players the ability and freedom to safely gain their fitness back.
On Saturday a club statement explained: ‘Access will be limited, carefully managed and social distancing will be maintained at all times. ‘
Mikel Arteta’s men have an entire pitch each to themselves at the ten- pitch Hertfordshire complex in Colney, with five spare.
The return to work is voluntary and players had to travel alone with only five allowed to train at one time.
A staggered series of one-hour sessions is spread throughout the day with medical and fitness staff overseeing each one from afar and the players banned from socializing with each other.
Martinez and Co had their own footballs (pictured alongside in passenger seat) to use
Sokratis Papastathopoulos was another Gunner who made his way into work
They even had their own specifically assigned football to avoid cross-contamination.
All the buildings will remain locked so each player had to arrive in their kit and shower and change at home and they have been instructed to return directly to their cars at the conclusion of the workout.
There has been a thorough deep clean of the £ 12 million training base and this is the first time it has opened since Mikel Arteta tested positive for coronavirus on March .
Mikel Arteta was the first big name in English football to test positive for coronavirus
He was the first big name in English football to contract the virus and it triggered members of staff going into isolation, prompting a suspension of the Premier League.
Arteta’s positive test came after it emerged that Olympiacos owner Evangelos Marinakis had also contracted the virus and had been in contact with Arteta and others during his side’s Europa League clash in London.
The Spaniard later opened up on his experience with Covid – . He said: ‘I’m very well now, I feel that I have recovered. It took me three or four days to start feeling much better and with more energy, to leave the symptoms behind, and now the truth is that I feel well. ‘
Luiz waved to photographers positioned at the entrance of Arsenal’s training base
The club are staggering arrivals so one group leaves before the nexts comes in
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