Burnley

Kompany has joined Bayern on a three-year deal, and comes in as Thomas Tuchel's replacement.

The former Manchester City captain, who began his coaching career in Belgium with Anderlecht, could not keep Burnley in the Premier League in 2023-24.

Indeed, the Clarets were relegated following a 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Turf Moor in their penultimate match of the season.

Yet, less than two weeks after the campaign's conclusion, Kompany has been installed as boss of one of Europe's biggest clubs. 

The 38-year-old joins Bayern after Tuchel confirmed talks over potentially reversing the decision for him and the club to part ways, which came in February, had ended.

Bayern lost their last game of the Bundesliga season to finish in third place, having failed to win any of the four trophies they were in contention for, seeing their dominance of Germany's top tier ended by Xabi Alonso's unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen team.

Alonso had been Bayern's primary target, but their former midfielder has elected to stay at Leverkusen for next season.

Bayern were also linked with Roberto De Zerbi, who has just left Brighton, and Brentford coach Thomas Frank, while they were turned down by Austria coach Ralf Rangnick. Mauricio Pochettino, who left Chelsea on Monday, was also rumoured as a potential option.

Kompany, then, is a surprise pick, but Bayern will be hoping he rediscovers the magic touch he had during his first season at Turf Moor in 2022-23, when he guided the Clarets to promotion from the Championship, earning 101 points in the process.

However, Kompany's possession-based, front-foot approach was badly exposed in the Premier League, with Burnley winning just five games on their way to taking 24 points as they finished 19th, going back down alongside Luton Town and Sheffield United.

He leaves Burnley having managed 96 games, winning 41 (42.7 per cent) of those matches.

In a statement, Burnley said they were "initially confident" of keeping Kompany at the club, but claimed "the changing dynamics of the situation made this impossible". 

"We understand the allure and prestige of a club like Bayern Munich and respect Vincent's ambition to explore new opportunities," the statement continued. 

"We wish only the best for Vincent and would like to put on record our appreciation for his dedication every single day he was a part of this football club. 

"Our priority remains the stability and success of Burnley, and we will continue to take the necessary steps to ensure that our ambition is realised, namely our return to the Premier League."

Bellingham got off the mark for 2024-25 with a crashing finish from 25 yards out to put Sunderland ahead shortly before half-time at the Stadium of Light.

Wilson Isidor then tapped home following great work from Romaine Mundle after the break as the Black Cats earned their sixth win from eight league games this term.

While Derby – who missed several chances to get back into the game – sit 13th on nine points, Regis Le Bris' side overtook West Brom to go top of the table on 18.

The Baggies relinquished their position due to a 1-0 home defeat against Middlesbrough, with Hayden Hackney netting the only goal after 73 minutes.

No away team had scored at the Hawthorns in almost six months, but Hackney found the bottom corner with a sweeping finish after taking in Riley McGree's pass for the winner.

Carlos Corberan's men slipped two places to third, with Burnley also overtaking them by beating Wayne Rooney's Plymouth Argyle 1-0 at Turf Moor.

The Clarets needed a 26th-minute Josh Brownhill penalty, awarded for Darko Gyabi's foul on Josh Cullen, to get over the line despite Plymouth not attempting a single shot on target.

Fellow high-flyers Blackburn Rovers, meanwhile, suffered their first defeat of the campaign at Coventry City, who recorded a deeply impressive 3-0 win at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

Jake Bidwell, Haji Wright and Brandon Thomas-Asante were on target for last season's FA Cup semi-finalists, who climbed to 16th in the table. Blackburn sit fifth.

Leeds United are level with Blackburn, but have a superior goal difference and sit fourth, after fighting back to draw 1-1 at Norwich City.

Josh Sargent's early penalty gave Norwich the lead over their former boss Daniel Farke, but Largie Ramazani's goal on the hour earned Leeds a point amid a better second-half display.

While internally Iraola had been under no pressure at Vitality Stadium, the noise externally was growing after the Cherries suffered a late defeat to Wolves last weekend, but they bounced back in style against a relegation rival.

It was actually Burnley who went ahead in the 11th minute when Charlie Taylor opened his account for the club on his 198th appearance with a sweet strike, but Antoine Semenyo’s fine solo effort ensured it was all square at half-time.

No winner appeared likely in the pouring rain with Clarets goalkeeper James Trafford impressive, but after the visitors gave away possession inside their own half, Billing spotted the England Under-21 international off his line and chipped the ball home from range.

Bournemouth did require VAR to intervene after Jay Rodriguez found the net late on but – after six minutes of deliberation by David Coote at Stockley Park – it was eventually ruled out for offside to give Bournemouth all three points.

With Cherries captain Neto out injured, a Premier League debut was given to on-loan Inter Milan goalkeeper Andrei Radu, but the majority of action early on was in the visitors’ half.

Poor passes by Billing and Marcus Tavernier halted dangerous Bournemouth attacks before the latter had a free-kick punched over by Clarets stopper Trafford.

It was a superb long-range pass by Trafford that helped get Vincent Kompany’s side on the front foot again and they took the lead through an unlikely source in the 11th minute.

From Burnley’s second corner in quick succession, Johann Gudmundsson’s delivery was only partially cleared by Illia Zabarnyi to Dara O’Shea, who cushioned a header into the path of Taylor and the left-back rifled home with a sweet strike from 22 yards to score for the first time since 2015.

Burnley’s joy should have been shortlived when the recalled Semenyo was played in down the right and picked out Tavernier, but the left winger side-footed into the ground and over from six yards.

Semenyo had been Bournemouth’s brightest attacker though and it was no surprise when he conjured up the equaliser.

Taylor was at fault after Semenyo robbed the goalscorer of possession before he waltzed into the area and steered a left-footed shot through O’Shea’s legs to level after 22 minutes.

Buoyed by the equaliser, Bournemouth finished the half strongly with Chris Mepham’s header tipped over by Trafford, but it remained 1-1 at the break.

Kompany had seen enough and introduced Rodriguez for the anonymous Zeki Amdouni during the interval, although it failed to have the desired effect.

Trafford continued to be the busier of the two goalkeepers, but punched away another Tavernier cross before he blocked Semenyo’s close-range effort to keep his side in it.

Sander Berge was thrown on by Kompany on the hour mark with the match appearing to peter out to a draw, but Billing had other ideas.

After Vitinho gave away the ball under pressure by the halfway line, Billing controlled and lobbed over Trafford from 40 yards before he displayed a T-shirt which read ‘we are the children, we are the world’, in celebration.

The drama was not over there with Rodriguez able to find the net in the 89th minute although the assistant referee immediately put his flag up.

VAR reviewed the incident and after a six-minute check it was finally deemed offside before Bournemouth were indebted to Radu, who saved two efforts by Berge deep into stoppage-time to secure a priceless win for Iraola’s men.

Sergio Aguero is to travel to Barcelona for an assessment on his damaged left knee, Manchester City have confirmed.

The decisive moment came in the 52nd minute when Millwall captain Jake Cooper powerfully headed Femi Azeez's cross beyond the grasp of James Trafford. 

But the Lions, who moved up to seventh in the table with the win, were worthy winners at The Den. 

They registered 12 shots compared to Burnley's eight, ending with an expected goals (xG) total of 0.83 compared to their opponents' 0.17. 

Parker's side managed just one effort on target, which came in the fourth minute courtesy of Luca Koleosho, with the Clarets boss lamenting his side's display in the final third.

"We came here knowing it's a tough place to come and dominated the first 25 minutes but the game went away from us at the back end of that first-half," Parker said. 

"Emotionally, with a young team like ours we struggled in the big moments.

"We need to be more progressive in the front third but it's a really young team, a brand new team and we need to keep working hard.

"We lacked spark in the second-half and the game has been decided on a set play."

But for Millwall boss Neil Harris, he masterminded the Lions' first league triumph over Burnley since a 3-1 victory back in February 2012. 

It was also a third consecutive 1-0 win for Millwall. Since the start of last season, they’ve won 13 Championship games by that scoreline, at least five more than any other side.

And Harris believes his side warranted their victory, insisting that his tactical decisions made the Clarets run out of ideas. 

"It was a strong result and I thought Burnley ran out of ideas," Harris said. 

"We grew into the game after Burnley were slightly better in the first 20 minutes, but I couldn't see them scoring against us.

"You just need a moment here at The Den and Jake Cooper produces it and, if anything, I thought we'd get the second goal.

"If we win games 1-0 it's fine and the first goal in the Championship is so important, especially for us."

Scott Parker's side could have put pressure on Sheffield United with a win, but now find themselves one point behind the leaders, who face West Brom on Sunday. 

The visitors broke the deadlock in the 13th minute when Daniel Barlaser released Anfernee Dijksteel, with the Middlesbrough right-back dinking cleverly over James Trafford.

But Burnley drew level before the interval when Connor Roberts' looped strike from distance caught Seny Dieng off his line. 

Burnley's hopes of building on the equaliser after the break did not materialise as Boro created the better chances, with Tommy Conway and Delano Burgzorg denied by Trafford early in the second half. 

Middlesbrough, meanwhile, sit in fifth place and are one point above Watford, who have a game in hand. 

Data Debrief: Burnley defence finally breached 

Burnley had kept a clean sheet in each of their last five Championship matches heading into this contest, but that run was brought to an end by Michael Carrick's side on Friday. 

Parker's team attempted 15 shots in the game, which was five more than their opponents, but only managed an expected goals (xG) total of 0.67, while Boro managed an xG of 0.88. 

However, the Clarets are still unbeaten in six league matches (W4 D2) and have the best defence in the league - conceding just seven goals in 19 matches. The result also meant that they are now unbeaten in their last six league meetings against Boro (W3 D3).

Scott Parker's side could have put pressure on Sheffield United with a win, but now find themselves one point behind the leaders, who face West Brom on Sunday. 

The visitors broke the deadlock in the 13th minute when Daniel Barlaser released Anfernee Dijksteel, with the Middlesbrough right-back dinking cleverly over James Trafford.

But Burnley drew level before the interval when Connor Roberts' looped strike from distance caught Seny Dieng off his line. 

Burnley's hopes of building on the equaliser after the break did not materialise as Boro created the better chances, with Tommy Conway and Delano Burgzorg denied by Trafford early in the second half. 

Middlesbrough, meanwhile, sit in fifth place and are one point above Watford, who have a game in hand. 

Data Debrief: Burnley defence finally breached 

Burnley had kept a clean sheet in each of their last five Championship matches heading into this contest, but that run was brought to an end by Michael Carrick's side on Friday. 

Parker's team attempted 15 shots in the game, which was five more than their opponents, but only managed an expected goals (xG) total of 0.67, while Boro managed an xG of 0.88. 

However, the Clarets are still unbeaten in six league matches (W4 D2) and have the best defence in the league - conceding just seven goals in 19 matches. The result also meant that they are now unbeaten in their last six league meetings against Boro (W3 D3).

Maxwell Cornet's 85th-minute winner proved the difference, making this the first defeat for Everton from a winning position at half-time since December 2019.

Following Nathan Collins' opening goal, Richarlison's two penalties in the first 45 minutes also made for the first time in Premier League history an away team had scored two penalties in the opening period.

Burnley only took 12 minutes to equalise in the second half, however, after Charlie Taylor skipped past Jonjoe Kenny to provide the assist for Jay Rodriguez.

Cornet was on hand to score the late winner after Everton failed to clear their lines, bringing 18th-placed Burnley within a point of the Toffees and Premier League safety.

The win is only the fourth in the league for Sean Dyche's side this season, breaking a four-game losing streak.

The Clarets were relegated on the final day last season, ending a six-season stay in the top flight.

But they have enjoyed an inspired first season under Vincent Kompany, suffering just two defeats so far in 2022-23.

Goals from Ashley Barnes and Connor Roberts, sandwiched by a Chuba Akpom penalty, secured the decisive victory at the Riverside for Burnley.

Their 25th win of the season meant they secured promotion with seven games still to play.

Burnley chairman Alan Pace told Sky Sports after promotion was confirmed: "Vincent has done something that's very, very special.

"This was a complete surprise, this was not our plan. Vincent and I talked about it in the summer, we gave ourselves two, three years was our plan. I think what you've seen is a lot of magic coming together.

"This team is very, very good. You hear Vincent say it every week. They're surprising each and every one of us every day, they're phenomenal."

The Clarets are 11 points clear of second-placed Sheffield United, who are looking to win promotion after being relegated in 2021.

The Blades are a further eight ahead of Luton Town in third having played a game fewer.

Daniel Farke’s side came into Saturday's encounter having won back-to-back matches against Sheffield Wednesday and Hull City, but their momentum was halted by their clinical visitors.

Burnley forward Luca Koleosho scored the only goal of the game the day before his 20th birthday.

Koleosho took advantage of a slip from Manor Solomon after 18 minutes, before sprinting 70 yards and drilling a shot past Leeds goalkeeper Ilan Meslier.

That proved to be enough to inflict on Leeds a third home league defeat in six matches going back to last season, despite the hosts applying plenty of pressure as they sought an equaliser.

Burnley's Bashir Humphreys was sent off eight minutes into stoppage time at the end of the match, but Leeds were unable to find a way through.

Elsewhere in Saturday's early Championship kick-offs, Luton Town claimed their first win since relegation from the Premier League.

Teden Mengi's fine early effort from the edge of the penalty area was enough to beat Millwall 1-0 away from home.

While Luton have ground to make up in the promotion race, Oxford United's surprise challenge continues on the back of their 100% home record.

That was maintained with a deserved 1-0 victory over Stoke City, with Idris El Mizouni netting the winner three minutes into the second half.

Winless in their first five games back in the top flight, Vincent Kompany’s side are enjoying better fortunes in this competition and followed up last month’s victory at Nottingham Forest with a one-sided win over Salford, suffering near the foot of League Two but boasting Cup wins over Leeds and Preston.

Anass Zaroury had a hand in all four goals as Sander Berge, Jacob Bruun Larsen and Dara O’Shea put the result beyond doubt inside the opening half an hour before Wilson Odobert marked his full debut with a late fourth. For all four Burnley scorers, it was their first goal for the club.

It was a welcome flurry from a side who had only scored five goals in six games before this, conceding 14, and puts them into the fourth round for a fourth straight season, although they have not advanced any further since reaching the semi-finals under Owen Coyle in the 2008-09 campaign.

Kompany, who lifted this trophy four times as a player with Manchester City, changed all 11 players from the side beaten 1-0 by Manchester United on Saturday as he juggles his 34-man squad.

But facing a side now on a six-match losing streak, fourth from bottom in the fourth tier and battling a lengthy injury list, there was no surprise in seeing Burnley dominate the ball and quickly take control.

The opening goal was all too easy as Berge, the £15million summer signing from Sheffield United, rose unchallenged to head in Zaroury’s 12th-minute corner.

There was a worry a moment later when Manuel Benson went down awkwardly and immediately signalled for help. The Belgian tried to battle on, and by the time he was eventually replaced by Mike Tresor in the 27th minute, Burnley had scored two more.

First Zaroury lifted a ball through for Bruun Larsen to lob the advancing Salford goalkeeper Alex Cairns.

Then the Moroccan tried to catch out Cairns with a quick free-kick from a tight angle. The keeper stopped the shot but could not hold it, and O’Shea accepted the invite to bundle the ball home.

Tresor had a strike ruled out for offside moments later, while Odobert was inches away from scoring in first-half stoppage time, sending Bruun Larsen’s cross back across the face of goal.

The second half started with Salford right-back Tosin Olapade, released by Burnley in the summer, getting it all wrong trying to clear a Vitinho cross and almost putting the ball into his own net.

Salford then had their best moment when former Northern Ireland international Matty Lund sent Conor McAleny racing through the middle but a combination of Vitinho and O’Shea recovered to make the block.

But the second half was a largely disjointed affair, with Burnley sure of their win and Salford trying to avoid any more damage – something they almost managed to do.

Odobert again went close in the 70th minute, shooting straight at Cairns from a tight angle, but got his goal nine minutes from time when Zaroury picked him out with a cross from the right and he cut back inside before firing into the net.

The Clarets extended their unbeaten run to seven matches under Scott Parker with goals either side of half-time.

Jaidon Anthony got Burnley off the mark after 37 minutes when he seized on a loose ball in the box to fire into the bottom left corner and open his account for the visitors after signing in August.

Burnley’s leading goalscorer, Joshua Brownhill, secured the three points on 50 minutes, rifling home a volley from the centre of the box.

The Clarets will keep their spot at the top if Sunderland fail to win at Hull City on Sunday.

West Brom scuppered their chance to move level on points with the current league leaders after conceding a 92nd-minute equaliser to draw 1-1 away at Oxford United.

Instead, they now sit fifth, level on points with sixth-placed Blackburn Rovers who beat Swansea City 1-0 to move into the play-off spots.  

Elsewhere, Cardiff City secured a much-needed win in style, defeating Plymouth Argyle 5-0 to move off of the bottom spot, while Portsmouth won 2-1 at Queens Park Rangers.

Luton Town recorded a satisfying 3-0 derby victory against Watford, who had engaged in some pre-match teasing on social media and duly got their comeuppance.

Preston North End and Bristol City also recorded wins, while Norwich City were held to a draw by Stoke City to prevent them moving into the play-off spots. Millwall and Derby County also cancelled each other out in a midtable clash.

The Clarets took the lead through a 10th-minute Jacob Bruun Larsen penalty given after a foul on Vitinho by Sergio Reguilon, who received a straight red card.

David Datro Fofana, having been guilty of a remarkable miss late in the first half, then doubled the advantage with a finish just past the hour mark.

Kristoffer Ajer pulled a goal back for Brentford with eight minutes of normal time to go but Burnley were able to see out what was their first victory of 2024, and only their fourth in the league this season.

Boss Kompany had emphasised pre-match that he had not given up hope of avoiding relegation and after ending their winless run, the gap between second-bottom Burnley and safety stands at eight points with nine games left to play.

Fifteenth-placed Brentford, meanwhile, are four points above the drop zone as their own sequence without victory extended to a sixth match.

Kompany made one change from last weekend’s 2-2 draw at West Ham, opting to drop goalkeeper James Trafford – previously an ever-present in the league this season – and bring Arijanet Muric into the team for his Premier League debut.

One of those coming into Brentford’s starting line-up as boss Thomas Frank made two adjustments from the 2-1 loss at Arsenal was the fit-again Reguilon, whose return proved extremely short-lived.

An early Burnley attack saw Josh Cullen swing the ball into the box, where Vitinho went to ground following contact from behind from the on-loan Tottenham defender.

VAR intervened and after referee Darren Bond had watched the incident back pitchside, a penalty was awarded, Reguilon was given his marching orders and Bruun Larsen coolly sent the spot-kick past Mark Flekken.

Ivan Toney headed over as Brentford looked to hit back, and Burnley then breathed a sigh of relief when Dara O’Shea misjudged an attempted pass back to Muric and the goalkeeper slid to clear the ball off the line with his boot, then saved Toney’s follow-up effort.

At the other end Fofana somehow missed when looking certain to score from close range having been teed up by Lorenz Assignon’s cutback.

Muric then produced a fine save to deny Yoane Wissa, before Fofana, having lurked behind Flekken as he prepared to take a kick, emerged to nick the ball, only to be thwarted by the Dutchman as he tried to take it past him.

After Charlie Taylor put a shot over the Brentford bar early in the second half, Fofana was then able to redeem himself in the 62nd minute as he was played in by Wilson Odobert and slotted past Flekken.

Burnley’s push for more included Zeki Amdouni’s shot being held by Flekken, before their lead was halved by Ajer heading in a cross from Shandon Baptiste.

The Clarets had been 2-0 up against West Ham only to be held 2-2 and fans may have been fearing a repeat as Muric kept out a Keane Lewis-Potter header.

A lengthy period of stoppage time – in which replacement Amdouni was substituted himself – then saw the ball in the Burnley net but no goal given with Toney being penalised for a challenge on Muric, before the final whistle confirmed three points for the hosts.

The 24-year-old has agreed a four-year deal at Turf Moor following the Clarets’ promotion to the Premier League.

Vincent Kompany’s side kick off the new top-flight campaign at home to champions Manchester City on Friday, August 11 after lifting the Sky Bet Championship title last term.

“It feels great to be here and I really can’t wait to get going,” O’Shea told Burnley’s website.

“Burnley were the outstanding team last season and they achieved exceptional things.

“I want to improve as a player first and foremost and I want to help the club achieve their goals.

“I’m at the stage of my career now when I want to push myself. I want to be the best I can be and this is the club that can help me do that and I can help them too.”

Dublin-born O’Shea, who has been capped 19 times by his country, made 107 appearances during his time with the Baggies, which also included loan spells at Hereford and Exeter.

Clarets boss Kompany said: “It’s great to welcome Dara to Burnley and we know he can play a big part in the progression of our football club.

“(He is) strong at the back as well as confident moving forward, a leader with experience and knowledge of playing at the highest level.”

After a goalless first half, Tyrese Campbell latched onto a pass from Callum O'Hare and slotted past Wednesday goalkeeper James Beadle for the winner five minutes into the second period. 

This was the Blades' sixth consecutive clean sheet at Bramall Lane and their fourth straight win home or away, and sees them go level with Sunderland on 31 points from 15 matches. 

Meanwhile, Burnley are four points behind the top two after they snatched a last-gasp 1-0 victory against visitors Swansea City.

Jay Rodriguez's stoppage-time penalty secured the points for the Clarets at Turf Moor, ending their four-match winless run and climbing to fourth in the table.

Champions Manchester City and last season’s runners-up Arsenal will resume battle with the Gunners’ having struck an early blow in the Community Shield, while newcomers Burnley, Sheffield United and Luton begin the task of ensuring their stay among the big boys is not fleeting.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the talking points surrounding the opening fixtures.

Harry Kane’s “will he, won’t he?” summer saga finally approached its conclusion on the eve of the new campaign as he headed for Germany with a view to tying up a £95million switch from Tottenham to Bayern Munich. The England skipper’s impending departure is likely to dismay fans of a club which drastically under-achieved in finishing eighth last season. Spurs open their campaign at Brentford on Sunday with the travelling supporters contemplating what life after Harry may represent.

If last season’s top three had a familiar look about it with Manchester United following their neighbours and Arsenal across the finishing line, there was a measure of turbulence below them as Newcastle disturbed the established order to push Liverpool out of the top four and Brighton claimed sixth spot with Aston Villa hot on their heels. Despite losing Jordan Henderson and Roberto Firmino to the Saudi Arabian exodus, the Reds have added World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai to their ranks with Moises Caicedo also seemingly on his way to Anfield, while James Maddison is perhaps the most eye-catching of Tottenham’s summer arrivals and Chelsea’s spending spree shows no signs of abating as the wounded prepare to fight back.

If Gary O’Neil felt hard done by when he was relieved of his duties at Bournemouth in June having steered the club to Premier League safety, it did not blunt his readiness to take on a challenge. The former Portsmouth and Middlesbrough midfielder was parachuted into the hotseat vacated by dissatisfied Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui after the Spaniard and the club decided to go their separate ways as a result of disagreements over recruitment. O’Neil stepped into the void with just days to prepare for Wolves’ opening fixture – a daunting trip to a rejuvenated Manchester United on Monday evening.

Burnley, Sheffield United and Luton will set foot in the top flight knowing the first and overwhelming priority is survival. Last season was the first since 2017-18 when the three promoted clubs all stayed up, with at least one having made an immediate return to the top flight at the end of each of the previous four. The Hatters last played in England’s top division in 1992, but having worked their way back from the non-league ranks in the last decade, they know all about fighting tooth and nail.

Unpopular as it may be with some, referees’ chief Howard Webb has insisted moves to eradicate time-wasting are here to stay, and that means there could be some lengthy matches this season. Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and Manchester United defender Raphael Varane are among those to have questioned moves to tackle the game’s “dark arts”, as well as behaviour on and off the pitch, but their concerns have fallen on deaf ears. How will they feel after the weekend?

Teams in England's top flight were permitted to return to small group training on Tuesday as part of the initial phase of the league's 'Project Restart'.

In a statement, the Premier League reported six people from three clubs had returned positive tests out of 748 conducted under the medical provisions in place.

No details regarding the clubs or individuals involved were put forward by the Premier League "due to legal and operational requirements".

However, Burnley issued a statement later in the day to announce Sean Dyche's number two Woan had tested positive following a test on Sunday.

"The Burnley first team squad and playing staff were all tested last weekend, ahead of a return to training," the statement read.

"In line with strict Premier League requirements and following a positive test, Ian will now self-isolate for a period of seven days, with a view to being tested again week commencing Monday, May 25.

"Ian is asymptomatic and is currently safe and well at home.

"He will remain in close communication with club personnel regarding his re-engagement in training once he is clear of the virus.

"Everyone at Burnley Football Club sends their best wishes to Ian and his family.

"Burnley Football Club will continue to follow the first stage of the return to training protocol, while adhering to Premier League guidance in terms of testing all players and backroom staff twice per week."

The Premier League, like most major sporting competitions across the globe, has been on hiatus since March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A decision to suspend the competition was taken after Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta and Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi were both found to have contracted COVID-19.

The Bundesliga became the first major European league to resume action at the weekend, while Premier League clubs have voted to return to training in small groups without contact work from Tuesday, despite reports over conflicts of interest among the 20 teams on aspects to do with 'Project Restart'.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said on Monday there was flexibility on the June 12 target for fixtures to be played.

Decisions made by UEFA and CONMEBOL to push back Euro 2020 and the Copa America until 2021 opened the door for domestic competition to continue longer than initially planned.

Upon announcing a four-week extension to the initially planned hiatus on Thursday, the Football Association (FA) revealed it would allow its leagues to continue beyond the June 1 deadline set out in its regulations.

The eventual run-in could prove to be heavily congested. Some Premier League teams are still competing on three fronts, others possess a game in hand, while UEFA is still hoping for a round of international matches in June.

If no games are cut out, we look at how the calendar for English teams could hypothetically shape up if competitions across Europe were able to resume following April 30.

May 2/3 - Matchday 30

May 7 - Postponed Europa League last-16 first legs and unplayed matchday 29 games

May 9/10 - Matchday 31

May 12/13/14 - FA Cup quarter-finals

May 16/17 - Matchday 32

May 19/20/21 - Champions League and Europa League last-16 second legs

May 23/24 - Matchday 33

May 26/27/28 - Champions League and Europa League quarter-final first legs

May 30/31 - Matchday 34

June 2/3/4 - Champions League and Europa League quarter-final second legs

June 6/7 - Matchday 35

June 13/14 - International week

June 20/21 - Matchday 36

June 23/24/25 - Champions League and Europa League semi-final first legs

June 27/28 - Matchday 37

June 30/July 1/2 - FA Cup semi-finals

July 4 - Matchday 38

July 7/8/9 - Champions League and Europa League semi-final second legs

July 11 - FA Cup final

July 15 - Europa League final

July 18 - Champions League final

The Hornets confirmed on Tuesday that all three will now self-isolate for seven days, in line with competition protocols, before being tested again.

"Watford Football Club confirms that three people have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus following testing at the training ground over the past 48 hours," the club said.

"Of those three positive tests, one is a player and two are members of staff. All three have asked that medical confidentiality be respected and, therefore, the club will not be naming those involved.

"All three will now self-isolate for seven days – in line with the protocols set out in Premier League guidelines – before being tested again at a later date.

"Strict adherence to the Premier League guidelines has ensured the training ground remains virus-free and a safe environment for the players to continue to work."

There were six positive results for COVID-19 from among 748 tests carried out on Premier League players and staff throughout Sunday and Monday.

Ian Woan, the Burnley assistant manager, has been named as one of the positives. The Clarets said he was asymptomatic and self-isolating as per regulations.

Watford captain Troy Deeney has previously spoken out in opposition to plans to get the 2019-20 campaign back underway, with the Premier League having been suspended since March.

Teams have been allowed to resume non-contact training this week with a view to a return to matches next month as part of 'Project Restart'.

However, Deeney insisted he was not prepared to risk becoming infected at training and then spread it to his family, particularly amid concerns that black, Asian and minority ethnic people are more susceptible to the virus.

He told Eddie Hearn and Tony Bellew on Talk the Talk YouTube show: "It only takes one person to get infected within the group and I don't want to be bringing that home.

"My son is only five months old, he had breathing difficulties, so I don't want to come home to put him in more danger."

The Premier League announced the results after 748 tests were administered across Sunday and Monday.

Those who were positive have been ordered to self-isolate for a week.

A statement read: "The Premier League can today confirm that, on Sunday May 17 and Monday May 18, 748 players and club staff were tested for COVID-19.

"Of these, six have tested positive from three clubs.

"Players or club staff who have tested positive will now self-isolate for a period of seven days. 

"The Premier League is providing this aggregated information for the purposes of competition integrity and oversight.

"No specific details as to clubs or individuals will be provided by the Premier League due to legal and operational requirements."

The Premier League, like most major sporting competitions across the globe, has been on hiatus since March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A decision to suspend the competition was taken after Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta and Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi were both found to have contracted COVID-19.

The Bundesliga became the first major European league to resume action at the weekend, while Premier League clubs have voted to return to training in small groups without contact work from Tuesday, despite reports over conflicts of interest among the 20 teams on aspects to do with 'Project Restart'. 

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said on Monday there was flexibility on the June 12 target for fixtures to be played.