Matt Grimes return to training

Swansea City return to training under new protocols

25th May
First team

Swansea City return to training today for the first time in 10 weeks since the coronavirus pandemic forced the UK into lockdown.

Head coach Steve Cooper will welcome back his first team squad to a controlled environment at Fairwood for restricted training ahead of a potential step up to full training and a return to Championship football next month.

Described as the ‘new normal’, we’ve tried to highlight what the first phase of training will look like for players and staff.

Testing

All players and key football staff were tested for coronavirus on Friday by a private company - to ensure there is no impact on frontline public testing - and under EFL guidelines ahead of training today. The club will fund the testing themselves.

Going forward, players and staff will be tested twice a week. The club doctor will be made aware of the results approximately 24 to 48 hours after the laboratory receives the samples.

Players showing a positive test, or displaying symptoms despite a negative test, will isolate for seven days with no attendance allowed at the training ground during that period. The players will then be retested seven days later.

There were no positive tests on Friday.

Pre-training

Players and staff will drive to the training ground individually and already in their training kit and with their own towel and drinks bottle; adhering to social distancing rules at all times. They are not permitted to change at the training ground, apart from replacing footwear in designated marquee areas.

Along with the twice-weekly testing, everyone will complete additional screening protocol to detect symptoms of coronavirus before entering the main site each day. This will ordinarily include a non-invasive temperature check and a medical questionnaire to be completed before starting any training activity.

Social distancing measures should be maintained from arrival at the training ground, while there will be no manual therapy treatments such as physio or massage prior to training unless absolutely necessary.

Also there will be no congregating in communal areas or entry to the main building, gym, dressing rooms, showers, cafeteria or medical room. Players will not be allowed to store personal items or technical equipment at the training ground.

Driving into the training ground, each player will have a designating parking spot with social distancing space between each car. Players and staff will have separate car parks.

A one-way system of movement will be in operation around the site to minimise the risk of inadvertent or unnecessary close contact with another person.

Training

There will be three pitches in operation with a maximum of five players and three staff per pitch. There will be separate access points to each pitch to avoid any contact between the different training groups, with hand sanitising stations on all entry and exit points.

Once allocated to a specific training group, players and coaches should not switch groups, while multiple groups may not use the same pitch at the same time.

All players and staff should maintain social distancing during training which shall be non-contact with no tackling, opposed activities or congested sessions in small areas.

The club doctor and medical team will not be involved with the group other than in the event of a medical emergency. 

If this should happen, the medical team will become involved and will wear appropriate PPE with the player being treated in a separate treatment area

Post-training

Players and staff must maintain social distancing when leaving the pitch after group training with the equipment they arrived with and placing their GPS unit in a pre-allocated area.

Players should depart the training ground in their kit, collecting any pre-packed takeaway food, drink, nutritional supplements or medication from a designated point on the exit route.

Staff will disinfect any relevant areas and surfaces after the session, including corner flags, cones, goalposts, equipment, GPS units, balls, gloves and boots.

Once the training ground is free from players and staff, further cleaning of the site will be undertaken in accordance with the latest Government guidelines ahead of the next training session.