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Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard has told ESPN he is ready to return to football as soon as it is safe to do so.
The Premier League is hoping to restart the season in June following the outbreak of COVID-19 — despite some players including Sergio Aguero and Danny Rose voicing their concerns.
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Lingard has been maintaining his fitness at home during the government imposed lockdown but says he is willing to return to Carrington when the authorities give the green light.
“I think it’s about taking the right steps and the right procedures, just to make sure that everyone is safe,” Lingard told ESPN.
“We need to go back when it’s safe. Obviously, everyone is missing football. It’s been a long time and I know a lot of people are getting agitated.
“It’s about following the right protocol and making sure everyone is healthy and safe.”
The shutdown, ordered on March 23, came at a bad time for United with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team on an 11-game unbeaten run.
If the campaign is allowed to resume, they will have nine games to force their way into the top four, as well as complete outstanding fixtures in the Europa League and FA Cup, and Lingard is confident momentum won’t be lost because of the break.
“I feel like we can [pick up where we left off],” he said.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of the lads and everyone is training hard. We’re all on the same training programme and we’re all ready and waiting to go. It’s a slow process.
“We’ve got to keep ticking over and maintain our fitness so when we do go back we can get off to a flying start and pick up where we left off.”
Meanwhile, 17-year-old midfielder Charlie Wellens has signed a professional contract at Old Trafford. Wellens, son of former United academy graduate Richie, has penned a two-year deal.