Newcastle boss Steve Bruce says Premier League players would not be ready to resume the season until the end of June, insisting an earlier start would see them “fall down like a pack of cards”.

Provisional plans for Project Restart were for a June 12 resumption, though that looks to have hit a stumbling block with disagreements over playing at neutral venues and concerns over player safety.

A June 19 date has been mooted, but Bruce says that players will not be match fit until the end of the month, having been inactive since the middle of March.

LaLiga will step up its preparations for a return to action, with group training of up to 10 players allowed from Monday.

Spain’s top two leagues are hoping to resume on June 12 and this marks a significant moment of progression.

Barcelona said in a statement: “From Monday 18 May the clubs in La Liga will enter into phase three of training. In this phase training sessions of up to 10 players is allowed as the club have been informed by La Liga.

“The first team players will return to training at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper on Monday at 9.30am CEST with the option of training in groups.

“The players during the first week of training have worked out individually in sessions of endurance and precision.”