Brighton striker Glenn Murray believes the Premier League is being rushed back too soon, saying "football isn’t necessarily a necessity – it’s a game, it’s a sport."
The Premier League spoke with players and managers on Wednesday to get their thoughts on a return to action in mid-June.
Murray was part of the conference call about Project Restart and the Brighton striker believes it's a decision that is too hasty given how many people have died from COVID-19.
Speaking to Sky Sports' Football Show, the 36-year-old he said: "Football isn't necessarily a necessity - it's a game, it's a sport.
"I mean, what if we go through all this rigmarole of trying to get back started, and we have a second peak and we're stopped anyways?
"I just can't understand after just sort of loosening the lockdown why we're in such a rush to get it back. Why can't we just wait a month or so to see if things go to plan?
"Why not see how the country deal with softening the lockdown first before we even think about starting unnecessary sport when people are dying all around us and the death rates are still high."
The Bundesliga will resume in Germany this weekend while La Liga and Serie A have also set return dates for the season.
Murray said that doesn't necessarily mean the Premier League should follow suit.
"Obviously we're all going to be watching the Bundesliga because it's football and we all love football. It'll be nice to see a live sport on TV without a doubt.
Murray also reiterated the point made by Norwich sporting director Stuart Webber on Wednesday that the Championship must finish alongside the Premier League if relegation and promotion is to stand this season.
Murray said: "If we manage to play our games in the Premier League, whoever finishes in the bottom three deserves to go down, but to be relegated you need the Championship to finish their games. If they don’t finish their games, they don’t deserve to be promoted.
“We’re talking about fairness and we’re trying our best to get the Premier League season finished, nobody wants it voided.
"All the players agree the bottom three sides are the worst in the division and deserve to go down but if the clubs below us in the Championship aren’t finishing their season, why should they get promoted?
"If the Championship is finished, brilliant. Whoever finishes in the bottom-three places and whoever wins the playoffs and finishes in the top-two in the Championship gets promoted but if the Premier League finishes and we get relegated without them kicking a ball then I can’t see that it’s a fair way for things to finish."
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