Leagues all over the world are trying to adjust to the possibility of restarting or curtailing their seasons.
With a number of Australian women currently contracted abroad, what is the state of their respective leagues and chances of playing?
USA - National Women's Soccer League
At present four Matildas are on NWSL team rosters. They are Steph Catley with the OL Reign, Ellie Carpenter with the Portland Thorns, and Alanna Kennedy and Emily van Egmond with the Orlando Pride.
The NWSL allowed teams to resume small group training this Monday and is going to allow full team training next Saturday should clubs meet specific requirements.
Teams must follow league "Return to Play Protocols" as well as state and local regulations. These protocols require temperature and symptoms checks. Testing is not currently listed as being part of the practice protocols.
These return to play protocols and next Saturday's change mean that the NWSL is the first North American league to return to active group practice.
The league is also currently proposing a month-long NWSL tournament to replace the 2020 regular season. According to leaked plans, this tournament would be held in Utah starting in late June.
Teams would be chartered into Salt Lake City and tested upon arrival. They would continue to be tested twice per week for the duration of the tournament.
The tournament itself would start on June 29, 2020 and consist of a four-game group play for each of the NWSL's nine teams. At the end of group play, the ninth-placed team would be eliminated.
The remaining eight teams would play in a one single-elimination knock-out tournament starting July 19th, 2020. The 2020 NWSL championship game, renamed for this year as the challenge cup, would conclude the 28th of July, 2020.
It should be stated that several players, including USWNT players, have health and safety concerns about this plan. The Utah plan has yet to be approved by the league, the clubs or the players.
Should this tournament go ahead, there is a chance it will not go ahead with any of the four Matildas. All four are by latest reports still in Australia.
Due to current travel restrictions, none of them are able to leave the country to travel to the US. Whether this will change in time for them to return, should they wish so, and be able to play in this season's competition is up in the air.
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