Roman Abramovich will accommodate NHS staff working in London hospitals at the Millennium hotel on Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium site as the club do their bit to help the response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Chelsea owner has decided the best way he and his club can assist is by providing rooms for medical staff, many of whom are working around the clock and might struggle to get home, particularly after late shifts.

'It's our time to give back': football rallies to fight coronavirus depression Read more

Abramovich will cover the cost of the accommodation for a two-month period and will then see whether the arrangement needs to continue, based on the circumstances at the time. The medical staff will be those working in the hospitals of north-west London but that may extend to those in other districts.

Chelsea said: “The number of rooms utilised will depend on demand but potentially all the rooms in the Millennium Hotel could be given over for this purpose. No staff showing symptoms will use the hotel.

“Many of the medical staff will be working long shifts and may not be able to travel home or would otherwise have to make long commutes. Local accommodation helps maintain the health and wellbeing of these crucial personnel at this critical time. Millennium Hotels and Resorts, who manage the hotel, are supportive and assisting the club in providing this service to the NHS.”

Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs have also announced they are closing Hotel Football and the Stock Exchange Hotel, the two Manchester-based hotels they own, and offering the rooms there to the NHS for free in response to the the coronavirus pandemic.

“We have been putting plans together for the past four weeks and have triggered various actions as things have developed,” said Neville. “A key consideration in our plans was to try and support the wider community and more specifically our local NHS hospitals. By offering both our hotels without cost to the health service we hope that this gives some support to the healthcare professionals in a time when they need it.”