MANCHESTER UNITED players were back at work on Bank Holiday Monday ahead of the club ramping up their preparation for Project Restart.
Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was spotted driving into Carrington in his Range Rover before Marcus Rashford and Co followed him in.
The squad trained together for the first time last Wednesday after Premier League teams voted for Phase One of the resumption plan.
However they have been initially kept apart, allotted different arrival slots and socially distanced to avoid an outbreak of coronavirus.
Sunday’s news that the two-metre distancing rule is being removed will allow top-flight sides to push towards their return to match action.
Players are set to be able to train in pairs and small groups before this week’s upcoming Premier League summit – where full-contact training will be up for discussion.
More tests will be carried out on players to monitor the level of the virus throughout the division.
Most recently, only two of the 996 tests conducted across the 20 teams came out positive.
While concerns have been voiced by players about the safety of returning to full-intensity training, the Phase One period was praised by United midfielder Jesse Lingard.
He said: “If it wasn’t a safe environment then we wouldn’t be training.
“But we follow the right protocols, we get tested every two days and we keep our distance, obviously, group training as well.
“At the moment we’re taking everything so steady and we’re waiting on the government to give the green light for the next step. None of the players would be there if we didn’t feel it was safe.
“I couldn’t wait to get back to football but since being back it’s been great.
“At the moment we’re currently training in groups with specific time slots.
“It’s been good just to get my boots on and back on the grass with the balls and around my teammates and coaches.”
