Lockdown Diaries: Meditation, nutrition course helps Manchester United players

Bengaluru, April 24: Former Premier League champions Manchester United have sent their players meditation videos as well as mental health blogs aimed at helping them remain positive during the lockdown enforced due to the coronavirus (COVID-19).

Accrding to a report which appeared in The Times, players have also been encouraged to take up an Open University course on nutrition and healthy eating and have been advised on how to cope with children being at home throughout the day with schools closed.

The club's first-team doctor Steve McNally said earlier this week that players had been sent a package of resources.

"We thought about this as we knew we were going to go into lockdown, and we put together a package for them that gave them a number of resources they can tap into if they want it," McNally told the club's website.

"We've not been heavy on trying to analyse them every day and get them too preoccupied with those things.

"We want positivity. We don't them want them to feel as though they should be having mental health issues."

United are not alone in focusing on the mental health of their players, with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta saying the club psychologist has been in constant communication with the team to offer help.

Arteta was one of the first to get the novel coronavirus and had admitted at one stage that he feared it would contract others in the team.

Coronavirus: Arteta was scared about infecting others after contracting COVID-19

Professional football in England has completely been suspended since March 13 due to the virus, which has been declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation.

Though the Premier League clubs met last week to assess the situation, they could not agree on a possible date for the return of the top flight of English football.

No dates set for completing Premier League

United's first-team coach Kieran McKenna said it was important that players also feel a sense of connection during the forced lockdown.

"I think they're getting that in a lot of different ways, be that through the different social media avenues, or I've tried to ring quite a few - especially a few of the younger boys," McKenna said.

(With inputs from Agencies)