Coronavirus: West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini latest star to express concerns about restarting season

Manuel Lanzini claims it would be ‘crazy’ to restart the Premier League until there is a vaccine for the coronavirus.

West Ham attacking midfielder Lanzini has become the latest top-flight star to publicly voice concerns about resuming playing, joining the likes of Manchester City‘s Sergio Aguero and Chelsea‘s Antonio Rudiger.

Lanzini told Argentinian station Radio Continental: ‘For me it would be crazy for the Premier League to resume until there is a vaccine to protect you.

West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini believes it is ‘crazy’ to restart the season without a vaccine

The West Ham attacking midfielder is just the latest Premier League star to express concerns

‘If you ask me if I want to play, obviously, but you need to protect others. I wouldn’t start now.’

The Premier League are set to discuss their Project Restart plans with executives from their 20 clubs next week, a discussion expected to be pushed back after Prime Minister Boris Johnson did the same with his next planned and crucial announcement on lockdown measures.

The Premier League are hoping to resume the disrupted season on June 12 and West Ham were among the first clubs to re-open their training for their players ahead of that proposed date.

David Moyes’s stars are able to take part in non-contact sessions and use their Rush Green HQ on a one-at-a-time, rotation basis.

Sergio Aguero has raised misgivings over the Premier League’s potential hastened return

Chelsea defender Rudiger thinks the season should not return due to the pandemic

Lanzini confirmed West Ham’s players have been told their training plans will be upgraded over the next fortnight though the timeline may be affected by any meeting delays.

West Ham were keen to make their training ground available at the earliest, safe opportunity to players who live in areas where it is not easy for them to train undisturbed.

Lanzini, one of the first to use take up the option, said: ‘I have an hour to do the work that the coach left me, I’m only with a distant partner. In the club we are with one or two people. We cannot use the facilities or the changing rooms, we have to be changed.

‘[On Tuesday] we have to do some studies because they believe the league will return. Next week we would train [in groups of] five and in two weeks, the whole group.’