Luton's players will return to training on Monday

Luton chief executive Gary Sweet has confirmed the Hatters squad will return to the Brache for training on Monday morning.

For the last eight weeks, Town’s players, like the rest of the country, have been in lockdown due to measures enforced by the government on March 23 to try and stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, with the Premier League being given the green light to finish the season this week and the Championship expected to follow suit, Sweet confirmed the players will head back in.

He said: “We’re returning to training on Monday for the full squad or those that are fit, and a very, very tight group of staff.

“There will be two or three sessions during the day, of small groups of players, that will have contact.

“We will be testing players twice a week and testing some staff as well.”

On the subject of testing players, there had been rumours that the costs to do so would run into a seven figure fee for clubs.

Sweet went on to refute claims it would be as much as that though, as he continued: “The costs have been somewhat elaborated by a number of clubs that don’t want to play.

“The cost of that testing over the period to complete the season, the return to training and return to play periods, isn’t fully known, but it doesn’t extend to the million quid that has been quoted by one or two clubs.

“How can you say it’s a manageable sum, when we’re in the financial position we’re in?

“But it is more manageable than not playing and the reason for that is, ultimately if we didn’t play, we could be into a more serious situation with regards to refunds for ticket holders, season ticket holders, executive members and certainly the league will be in a much more serious situation with regards to a refund on broadcast rights.

“So if you then look at the cost deficit of both situations then we’re probably taking the route of least loss.”

Sweet also went onto allay any fears around the safety of Town’s players who will be heading back to the club next week as well.

He said: “What we’re doing in terms of the testing and the protocol around the training ground, it’s going way above and beyond the recommendation of Public Health England and DCMS (Department for Media, Culture & Sport) that are coming into professional sport.

“So I would argue that anybody would take more risk taking a visit to the supermarket than any of our players are, by coming to train.

“We have to be really quite sensible about this.

“If we’re not going to come back to train and potentially play in a month’s time, now, when are we ready? When is that point going to be?

“What are the circumstances that are going to give us the opportunity to do that?

“When I look at other people, the staff working on the front line and even my postman or the delivery driver, players and coaching staff are in a much safer environment coming into our training ground, training two or three times a week than any of those guys are.

“We’ve got to play a part in society as well and we’ve got to get back to normality as quickly as we can.”