How Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Sheffield Wednesday & Co have boosted hopes of a League One restart for Portsmouth and others

The Football League have announced that 1,014 players and club staff from all 24 Championship clubs were tested for over the course of the last 72 hours.

However, just two individuals tested positive – both from the same club.

The club and individuals have yet to be identified.

Those encouraging test results strengthen the argument that the threat of coronavirus within the football environment can be subdued, thereby posing little health risks to those players who return to duty.

It represents important evidence to allay any player’s fears that the pandemic could be transmitted on the football pitch.

Similarly, earlier today the Premier League revealed that two people from two Premier League clubs have tested positive for coronavirus following the second batch of testing.

Players and staff at Premier League received the results on Saturday, after 996 tests were carried out at training grounds on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

So far, a total of eight positive results have been returned out of a total of 1,744 tests conducted in the Premier League.

That equates to 0.45 per cent of the tests coming back positive.

League One have yet to agree on whether to continue their season – or settle on fulfilling the play-off campaign.

Once that position is clearer, there will testing on those players scheduled to return to action.

A Football League statement said: ‘Those players or club staff who have tested positive will now self-isolate in line with the guidelines provided by the EFL and only those who have tested negative will be permitted to enter training ground facilities.

‘The EFL will continue to make regular and relevant announcements as appropriate in respect of the testing programme to support competition integrity and transparency.

‘No specific details as to clubs or individuals will be provided by the League.’