MIDDLESBROUGH’S players have trained as usual this morning despite the suspension of the Championship fixture list because of the coronavirus outbreak.

While a number of clubs, including Newcastle United, have opted to effectively shut down their training ground, with their players being issued with individual training programmes to follow at home, Boro have decided to keep their Rockliffe Park base open.

Jonathan Woodgate presided over a first-team training session this morning, and the club intend to continue working with their players as a group until instructed to do otherwise.

“We’re following the advice of the Government and the football authorities,” said Woodgate, who has restored the previously injured Dael Fry and Patrick Roberts to the first-team group. “We have an excellent medical team here as well, who will provide guidance. Our plan is to work as normal in terms of training unless we’re told otherwise.”

As things stand, Boro are set to return to action with a home game against QPR on April 4, but the EFL, who will hold an emergency board meeting on Wednesday, will continue to monitor the situation.

“It’s not for us to speculate about what will happen and what won’t happen in terms of resuming the season,” said Woodgate, on Middlesbrough’s official website. “The most important thing in all this is people’s health, and we will be guided by people who know better than us.”