Fans will return to Wembley for FA Cup semi-final on April 18

Up to 4,000 fans will be able to attend the FA Cup semi-final between Leicester City and Southampton after the match was selected by government as the first football test event for the return of spectators.

The two Premier League clubs are scheduled to meet on April 18 for the right to meet either Manchester City or Chelsea in the final later this season.

Fans of both teams, however, will not be permitted to attend and instead, according to the Daily Mail, tickets will be given to local residents of Brent as well as health service workers.

The government has stressed test events will take place with a view to gaining information on how to keep large crowds safe amid the ongoing global pandemic, rather than provide fans with a chance to once again see their teams’ in action.

Should the event, and others similar to it, pass off without a major incident it is hoped that it could lead to larger crowds being able to attend matches at this summer’s European Championships where the closing stages are again scheduled to take place at Wembley.

The government is due to confirm up to 14 pilot events which are likely to include the Carabao Cup final between Manchester City and Tottenham, as well as the World Snooker Championships at The Crucible in Sheffield, which begins on April 17.

Fans were prevented from attending any matches during the course of ‘Project Restart’ at the end of last season, but clubs cautiously began to welcome back fans in late November and early December before the infection rate spiked across the country, prompting a dramatic U-turn and shift in policy.