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Aston Villa & Sheffield United players kneel in support of Black Lives Matter movement ahead of Premier League restart

Aston Villa and Sheffield United players and staff took a knee on the pitch in support of the Black Lives Matter movement ahead of the Premier League restart on Wednesday.

The English top-flight's first fixture since March is taking place in midweek at Villa Park, with Dean Smith's struggling side playing host to Chris Wilder's high-flying Blades.

The contest is being staged behind closed doors due to the continued threat of coronavirus, with no ball boys present and staff forced to wear face masks on the sidelines.

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Changes have also been made to each team's kit, with the names on the back of the players' shirts replaced with the words 'Black Lives Matter' in a league-wide stand against racism.