Rio de Janeiro, May 2 (IANS): Flamengo head coach Jorge Jesus has returned to Brazil after five weeks in his native Portugal as the Rio de Janeiro club steps up plans to resume training.

Brazilian football has been suspended since mid-March as part of efforts to combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Flamengo officials have sought permission from authorities to restart training under strict protocols that include regulator testing of players and officials, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Let's see what the authorities say about the teams going back to training," Jesus told FlaTV upon his arrival at Rio's Santos Dumont airport late on Friday.

"They are workers like any others. Players have the advantage of testing and working outdoors. We have to be careful, this is no joke. I was asked in Portugal if I was going to put myself in the eye of the storm when I returned to Rio. We are going to take it day by day."

Brazilian clubs cannot resume training without the authorisation of their corresponding state governments, which are yet to make a pronouncement.

Brazil has 92,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 6,000 deaths, according to the latest health ministry figures.