Bristol City, Leeds United and rest of Championship set for financial help to pay for COVID-19 tests

All 24 clubs in the Championship are believed to be facing bills estimated at £200,000 for testing

Sides in the Championship who are having difficulty affording tests for Covid-19 will be allowed to put payments on hold.

The EFL revealed on Thursday that three more individuals have tested positive for Covid-19 following the latest round of testing, including former Bristol City loanee Elliot Bennett..

A total of 1,030 players and club staff were tested over the last three days, with three people from two clubs being found to have the virus.

Shortly after the EFL’s announcement, Fulham revealed that two of their players tested positive before Blackburn Rovers subsequently announced that captain Bennett had also tested positive.

Sides in the Championship could be set to start contact training next week in a boost to their hopes of finishing the campaign.

England's second-tier remains hopeful of returning to action next month, with players returning to training in small groups on Monday.

With nine matches left to be played by each club, there remains a strong desire from the majority of Championship sides to ensure the season is completed on the pitch.

And although each club is likely to face bills estimated to be around the £200,000 mark, SportsMail is reporting that clubs have been given the option to have the money taken directly from their next solidarity payments.

The report goes on to add that clubs will have the option not to have to settle the bills directly, but instead have the money deducted from the cash injections they receive from the EFL.

According to a report from The Telegraph on Tuesday, the EFL were set to send proposals for phase 2 training protocols to clubs on Thursday.

The report claimed that a decision is then likely to be made on Monday, with the implementation of the phase, should the vote be passed, likely to come as early as the next day.

Should everything be passed, then that would give clubs at least three weeks of full training, ahead of a possible restart on either June 19 or the 26th.