As soccer looks to return, player safety is not being taken seriously

FC Yahoo's Ryan Bailey explains why despite the urge for the sport's return, leagues around the world are not doing enough to put the player's health and well-being first.

Video transcript

RYAN BAILEY: Soccer leagues around the world are looking to restart, but is enough attention being paid to player safety? Ryan Bailey for Yahoo Sports. Soccer leagues around the world are gearing up to return as training in the Bundesliga continues. MLS makes plans for players to return to training on a voluntary basis from next week, and the Premier League discusses project restart, which aims to see matches resume in early June.

Safety protocols will be observed and matches will restart without fans. But one factor is not being given nearly enough prominence, the health and well being of the players themselves. While there are great financial pressures to resume play, the fact is that many players are concerned about risking their own health by participating in a contact sport during a time of pandemic.

After all, we've already seen three players test positive for COVID-19 at Cologne. Yet, training at the German club continues. Sergio Aguero has said the majority of players are scared, because they have family. They have children, babies, parents. When we go back, I imagine we will be very tense.

Players including Glen Murray and Conor Hourihane have expressed similar concerns about bringing infection home to their families. Asking players to completely isolate during this period is not a one stop solution either. Kevin De Bruyne, for example, has a pregnant wife and young children. He said on Belgian TV that he would refuse to leave them for six weeks, and this makes him very anxious to play.

Soccer players are not essential workers. But we're expecting them to play a game in which they could be exposed to the virus and ask them to spend months away from their families just for our entertainment. Returning to play could have a significant impact on the mental health of anxious players too, and let's not forget It could affect their physical safety.

With only a short build up of socially distance training, the players are not going to be at peak fitness. Injuries will occur more often, and players may pose more danger to one another as their on field mindsets change. The issues around player safety could expose clubs to huge legal troubles too, if players make negligence claims as in when they become infected.

And of course, the necessary testing and resources required to keep the players safe will be scrutinized at a time when levels of testing and personal protective equipment are sorely lacking for the general public in many countries. Soccer may soon return, but it's worth noting we're asking an awful lot of the players involved just for the sake of our entertainment. For more on a beautiful game, follow FC Yahoo on your favorite social channels and stay up to date on Yahoo Sports. Nod to your mothers. See you next time.