Cobblers will not force any player to play against their wishes if play-offs go ahead

Cobblers players will not be forced to play.

Cobblers boss Keith Curle will not force any player to return to action if they feel uneasy about doing so in the current circumstances, but he says his squad are united in their desire to compete in the play-offs.

Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Town could be back in training in the next couple of weeks if the decision to end the regular League Two season is ratified by both the EFL and the FA.

The Premier League returned to training this week but some high-profile names, including Watford's Troy Deeney, have been vocal in their desire not to play.

"We're due back in this week but I'm not going in," said Deeney. "It only takes one person to get infected within the group and I don't want to be bringing that home."

Curle will respect any player who has concerns given the current situation, however he has only had positive feeddack from his squad.

He said: "There are no concerns at the moment but I made it crystal clear right from the offset that both myself and the club will be respectful if any individual has concerns regarding coronavirus and the current situation.

"Everybody has different circumstances but I've got to say that not one player has said to me that they're not prepared to come back and train again which is excellent news.

"I spoke to all of the players and they all have the option to speak to me privately. I'm a respectful person and I respect that people have their own personal circumstances.

"Would I try and persuade somebody to play? No. What I would do is give them some clarity and explain the environment that they would be coming back into and the safety elements and protocol that the club and the EFL will put in place.

"We'll take every possible measure and we'll go above and beyond to make sure that the health and well-being of every single player is looked after and that's both physical and mental well-being.

"The communication channels are always open if players have any concerns and they can ask questions - why's this been done? Why are we being tested? Why are we doing that?

"We will give that clarity to the players to put their minds at rest and ensure they know that we're doing everything we possibly can for them."