Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce says the players have individual training programmes during the Premier League three-week suspension.

Bruce made the comments just hours before the suspension decision was made due to coronavirus concerns.

Bruce, who had earlier spoken to journalists at his scheduled 8:45am pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's now-postponed clash with Sheffield United, said: "We've set the personal programmes in place, they're ready to go.

"I think that's what the doctors of all the clubs are recommending. Up until yesterday, we thought we were fine (to play this weekend), but when the news broke (about Arteta), it was obvious the situation had changed.

"Once we heard about that, and Leicester and now Chelsea, we knew things had moved on.

"We've been talking about what will happen if everything is suspended for two weeks, four weeks. The plan would be for the players to go away with their own individual programmes, to take them away from here, because we are on top of each other.

"There are 70 or 80 of us in quite a confined space. If one of them got infected when they were away from the training ground and then came back in, clearly that would be an issue. It's so contagious, apparently."