Eight new coronavirus cases at Championship clubs ahead of restart including one at Brentford

A further eight positive tests for coronavirus have been returned in the Championship ahead of the division's resumption this weekend.

Following the Premier League restart on Wednesday night, the stalled 2019-20 season for English football's second tier is due to come back behind closed doors on Saturday, with Fulham hosting Brentford in a west London derby at Craven Cottage in the first fixture at lunchtime.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the EFL confirmed that 2,213 players and staff from all 24 Championship clubs had been tested during the latest round of Covid-19 testing, with eight individuals returning positive results across six clubs.

"Those players or Club staff who have tested positive will now self-isolate in line with the guidelines provided by the EFL and only those who have tested negative will be permitted to enter training ground facilities," the league reiterated.

Brentford swiftly confirmed that one of those positive tests had occurred at their club, with the person in question now isolating. They did not reveal whether it was a player or member of staff.

Meanwhile, tests at the four teams set to compete in the League One play-offs produced a further four positive results - at two clubs - from a total of 254 tests, while testing on 174 people at the League Two play-off clubs led to zero new coronavirus cases.

The League One play-offs begin on July 3 as Portsmouth take on Oxford United and Fleetwood Town meet Wycombe Wanderers.

League Two's equivalent begins on Thursday night (June 18), when Colchester United battle Exeter City and Northampton Town face Cheltenham Town.