LONDON - Watford manager Nigel Pearson has warned that players lives could be in danger if the Premier League returns too soon during the COVID-19 pandemic. “God forbid we have a fatality,” the Times newspaper quoted him as saying on Saturday. “People are closing their eyes to the threat. “Yes, we would like to restart it but it’s got to be safe. We should be cautious. To ignore possibilities is foolhardy. It’s about safeguarding people’s health.” Britain’s Culture and Sport secretary Oliver Dowden said on Thursday that the government was “opening the door” for football to return next month and complete the season in stadiums without spectators. Players, clubs and the government are discussing safety measures needed for ‘Project Restart’ to happen with another meeting planned for Monday when medical protocols will be discussed. Clubs could also resume some form of training that day, while Germany’s Bundesliga started playing again on Saturday. Government figures published on Friday showed the number of people who have died in the United Kingdom after testing positive for the new coronavirus was 33,998 by 1600 GMT on Thursday.