Mourinho denies asking for Premier League delay

Several stars including Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling and Danny Rose have gone public with fears about resuming the season during the coronavirus crisis. Some top-flight bosses are also understood to have expressed concerns about the plan to play from mid-June when they spoke during a League Managers Association meeting on Wednesday.

But Mourinho said he would relish the chance to get back to work despite the challenges and risks posed by the pandemic.

"I have not asked for any delay," Mourinho said in a statement on Thursday. "I want to train, and I am desperate for the Premier League to return as soon as it is safe to do so, particularly now we are seeing other leagues preparing to return to action." 

Mourinho was forced to apologise in April after being spotted breaking lockdown restrictions to hold a training session with midfielder Tanguy Ndombele in a public park. Serge Aurier and Moussa Sissoko also had to say sorry after the Tottenham pair flouted social-distancing guidelines to train together. Despite those incidents, Mourinho is happy with the way his squad have kept themselves fit during the lockdown.

"I am extremely proud of the way my players have maintained their fitness," he said. "They have shown great professionalism, passion and dedication. We have all been working extremely hard through remote squad training sessions and isolated running now the pitches are available to use again at the training centre.

"Every player has been extremely committed in terms of their individual work and now we wait for clearance to commence working in small groups again, which I will fully support."