When the Premier League returns there will be 'no alternative' but to play games behind closed doors, says the deputy chief of the Professional Footballers' Association.

All elite football in England has been suspended until April 30 at the earliest due to the coronavirus, but clubs are determined to try to finish the season regardless of how far into the summer that may be.

And while the PFA's Bobby Barnes feels that is something that can be achieved, he says he has told the players they will likely have to resume games without any crowds.

Speaking to The Athletic, he said: “I think it’s more a case of there being no alternative. Players are realistic. 

"In an ideal world, we would be playing in front of crowds. But we’re not in an ideal world and certainly, the players I’ve spoken to accept that if that is what it’s going to be, that’s what it will have to be."

Some Champions League games were played behind closed doors before European football was stopped by UEFA, including Paris Saint-Germain's home tie with Borussia Dortmund.

The Premier League has been given a helping hand in attempting to finish the season thanks to the postponement of the European Championships until 2021.